Deception
by garnet eyes
Summary: No one can really know everything and a mission to discover what became of some missing soldiers proves that to Sephiroth many times over. AU.
1. Honest

Title: Honest Deception

Author: Garnet Eyes

Archived: y-gallery. net, fanfiction. net

Summary: You don't always know everything you think you do.

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Author Notes: I have not had the time to watch/play anything in the Final Fantasy VII universe beyond the original game and Advent Children. Therefore, I am certain there are inconsistencies between my writing and newer games or movies.

Disclaimers: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Squaresoft and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rain fell for days after a mission that had gone wrong out by Nibelheim. Fair had been unusually somber the entire time; not that the General could blame him. Three units of newly graduated soldiers had been sent to cull the local Mako beast population. Two days into the area, all forty-five soldiers simply _disappeared_. Five special ops soldiers sent to investigate found traces of camps but the weather had washed away any helpful clues. After two days of searching, a corpse turned up in the mud-caked area, mangled by whatever had come across it first but the uniform was still recognizable. All searching thereafter had been fruitless and no other bodies had been found. Sephiroth kept track of all progress while he dealt with the rest of the army, but his hands remained tied about sending any SOLDIERs. Zackary would have volunteered immediately, he was certain, but that was of little consequence when there was absolutely nothing to go by. It wasn't until a week had passed that the General, more concerned about what had happened than he let on, found his opportunity. Fair was ready within a half an hour, hauling a tiny blonde soldier with him. The boy looked a little uncomfortable, but he was packed and ready, and Sephiroth did not want to waste time on arguments. The helicopter ride to Junon got him the relevant information, anyway.

Sitting with one leg hooking over the opposite knee, arms crossed over his chest, duffle bag resting in the seat beside him, jade eyes watched the quiet little soldier stare at Fair and nod at appropriate intervals while the outline of the mission was being explained to him. When Zackary finally wound down, but before he could ask if the soldier understood everything, the silver warrior abruptly inserted himself into the conversation.

"I wasn't aware a cadet would be joining us. What good will you do?"

The blonde looked shocked for a moment and then briefly put upon. Sephiroth could not recall garnering such a reaction from a soldier before and he knew he had been rather harsh. The blonde's voice was quiet, but clear, even over the din of the moving vehicle.

"I was raised in Nibelheim, sir. Zack said you wanted me as a guide."

Ah, so the younger SOLDIER had been putting thought into this for quite some time as well. A guide would prove useful, but the boy before him looked like he wouldn't last long. And it seemed Fair was friends with the little blonde on top of that.

The silver warrior nodded acceptance of the answer but did not keep his reservations to himself.

"Do not slow us down. I neither recognize your face nor do I know your name. I don't intend to wait for you and I expect you to be able to take care of yourself."

Perhaps frightened, the blonde nodded and curled in on himself. Fair shot the silver warrior an exasperated look, but remained silent. The moment the helicopter landed in Junon, the General hoisted his bag and stalked toward their next waiting vehicle. As if to prove he would be good to his word, the blonde scurried behind, keeping pace with Zackary. The next helicopter was larger, fully fueled and ready to continent hop. That flight was silent as the General thought about where they should start once they reached Nibelheim. The younger SOLDIER had dozed off in his boredom, seemingly unconcerned although the silver warrior knew that to be a lie. The boy stared out of the window placidly, curiously showing no signs of jittery anticipation. A few minutes after the brunette fell asleep, his broad frame listed to the side and flopped against the blonde seated at the window. Azure eyes stared dumbly at the now softly snoring brunette before the boy sighed and readjusted himself under the SOLDIER's bulkier frame.

Sephiroth wondered how frequently this occurred for the boy to not even care, but kept the question to himself. He was more concerned with those missing at the moment. Aside from that, a cursory glance at the skinny teen proved enough to tell that the blonde would never make SOLDIER. He could probably be beaten by a strong wind and, although the soldier uniform covered him, it was obvious that he lacked the kind of physical strength necessary to wield the training weapons in the SOLDIER filler units. Honestly, the General couldn't even believe that Zackary had gotten clearance from all of the boy's instructors.

Stifling a groan, the silver warrior made a mental note to excuse the boy's absence, since he was too young to have graduated into a soldier unit.

"Cadet, I'll need to know your name, serial, and instructor."

The sudden break of peace startled the blonde, although he was quick to hide his bewilderment.

"Strife Cloud, NH01013, sir."

Raising a fine silver brow, the General leaned back against the seat behind him. After a hesitation, in which the boy looked momentarily uncertain, his soft voice continued.

"I'm almost in my second year, sir."

Blinking, cat eyes narrowed on the thin figure jammed between the window and the slightly drooling brunette.

"You're too young for preparation for entering a specific military unit."

It was almost inaudible, but the silver-haired SOLDIER clearly heard a snort of derision.

"I'll be sixteen in a few months, sir."

Surprise briefly filtered into his features, exacerbated when the boy noticed and smiled genuinely.

"I'm used to it, sir."

Being used to others mistaking his age was one thing, but the tone in his voice told Sephiroth that this Strife character was used to being entirely underestimated. Undoubtedly the Turks were keeping tabs of him if he was any good.

"Very well. Perhaps you can be of use to me. Tell me, with your knowledge of the area, where do you believe would be a good starting point for our search?"

Azure eyes turned toward the floor for a moment.

"I only know what Zack just told me. Nothing has been released to us about where anything has happened."

True enough, not even the most inept commander could expect a soldier with no information to put out anything useful. Pulling the Nibelheim map from his belongings, Sephiroth opened it and laid it flat on the floor between them. Leaning down, ignoring the silver strands that spilled over his shoulders, one gloved hand reached down to point as he spoke.

"This is the area that the last encampment was found. Here is where the body was discovered. Special Operations has covered all of this area."

Curious azure eyes briefly scanned the map before turning back to the window. There was a pause before a leather-gloved hand recollected the map, thinking that the boy might not have much training for this type of thing and the casual mention of death may have upset his still innocent mind.

"There is a cave system around that area."

Jade eyes narrowed, unfolding the map again.

"There is no mention of such a thing and no report on any entry point."

Blue eyes glanced briefly at the SOLDIER before he repositioned the sleeping brunette so that he would cease soaking the teen's shoulder in saliva.

"It's hidden. There're a lot of monsters in it, too. Some of them burrow."

It went without saying that the caves would have changed because of that, but, should these caverns exist, the boy had already proved himself useful.

Folding up the map and returning it to its place in his belongings, Sephiroth briefly checked over his materia, contemplating which would be best suited to underground terrain. Zack made an irritated noise, settling himself back into a position on top of the damp spot on the blonde's shoulder. With a doleful expression, Strife turned his head away and gave up trying to keep his uniform dry. Holding his mastered fire materia in his palm, the General looked over the open slots in his sword.

"Ice would be a better option, sir."

Cat eyes turned a speculative glance toward the blonde, seeing azure eyes steadfastly focused on the horizon line and tan lips drawn thin. Turning jade eyes down to the orb in his hand, the General wondered how Strife had even known what materia he was holding. It was impossible for the silver warrior to tell which materia was which unless he touched it. Another quick look at the blonde had Sephiroth fishing through his items until he found a tranquilizer, silently proffering the drug. Thin hands grasped the medicine with a grateful expression directed toward the SOLDIER before the boy drank, pocketing the empty bottle afterward.

"Any other suggestions?"

Strife hesitated then, and the silver warrior could practically see the inner debate although he was not positive on what precisely was being argued.

"Which materia did you bring, sir?"

Testing his personal hypothesis that the earlier offhand suggestion may have just been a fluke, the General spread all of his materia out for the boy to peruse without saying a word. After a cursory look-through of the various orbs in black-gloved hands, the teen hesitated once more before speaking.

"Don't bother to equip earth. Ultima might cause the same problem. Ice-all should affect everything around the Nibel area. …You don't have any restore?"

Belatedly, the silver warrior realized that he had neglected to remove that materia from his bracer. It hardly mattered, given this discovery. The boy was so far only naming off materia that was sitting in Sephiroth's hands. He truly could recognize them by sight.

"Would you like to use some, then?"

Pale eyes narrowed and the SOLDIER knew his intention had been read. No one outside of SOLDIER filler units and actual SOLDIERs were given formal training with materia. While anyone could buy the condensed Mako orbs, most people could only cast a few spells that were of poorer quality than the casts performed by SOLDIERs. Those individuals who could afford them enjoyed materia as an occasionally useful decoration. Unless people were told what they were buying, few individuals even knew until the first cast. Strife was well aware of his uniqueness, then.

"I haven't had any training with materia, sir. I wouldn't be very reliable."

It was Sephiroth's turn to narrow his eyes, aware of the paper-thin line that was being walked. However, for the time being the silver warrior let the comment slide and continued plying the blonde to see how much he truly grasped.

"Anything else?"

"Your contain would be good connected with an added effect materia, if you have one. Time and destruct, if you don't mind being weighed down. Deathblow and manipulate are other options."

Strife knew a great deal about materia, then. That was not a beginner's answer. More importantly, his knowledge spanned more than just magic materia and at least into the realms of independent and support materias. Strife would be handy as a support soldier during his career in the military.

"Wake Fair; we'll be arriving in Costa del Sol shortly and we can't be late for our transport."

The tiny blonde turned his attention to the mess of a SOLDIER leaning on him and the General replaced his materia as he originally intended, not so much ignoring Strife's comments as trusting in his own judgment better. A snort and a yawn signaled that the brunette was awake, if not coherent, and Sephiroth had the unique opportunity to see someone so mousy simply ignore the sapphire-eyed SOLDIER and his questions about the dark spot on the boy's uniform and come away without an argument. Zackary whined about being treated meanly, but he wasn't nearly as overbearing as he usually was when he was left without information. The General would have to discover the trick that the boy used.

"Mou, you doing okay, Cloud?"

Concern brightened deep blue eyes as the brunette checked the little blonde over. A kind of half smile pulled at the boy's lips as he collected his own bag into his lap and shouldered his standard issue rifle.

"It's fine."

Briefly, the brunette appeared unconvinced before turning his focus toward the silver warrior. Ignoring him, the older SOLDIER placed his own bag at his side and waited for landing. Fair made a disconcerted noise, but did not argue. Before the helicopter had even fully touched the pad, Sephiroth was on the ground and heading toward the truck. He had no doubts that the others were close behind.

The truck drivers were a pair of filler unit trainees, one sleeping in the passenger seat while the other waited by the driver's side door for the General and the other SOLDIER accompanying him to arrive. Bored brown eyes snapped to attention as the silver warrior stalked closer, although the teen made no comment about the surprise addition to his cargo. The moment that the three passengers were in the back, the truck revved up and pulled out.

It was well into the night before any words were spoken. Fair had kept remarkably silent, given how obvious it was that he wanted to speak. Now that the tiny blonde was curled up wedged against the wall in the spot between his own bag and where the younger SOLDIER finally settled himself, it seemed Zackary could no longer contain himself. His voice was hushed, so as not to disturb the soldier tucked away next to him.

"Cloud's uncomfortable. What did you say to him before?"

Jade eyes swept toward the brunette, taking in the protective stance and narrowed sapphire eyes.

"Nothing of importance. I simply spoke with him about the terrain and he offered suggestions about materia."

Perking up, the younger man grinned.

"Isn't he great? I've never known anybody that good at distinguishing materia before. He's so uncomfortable about it, too, but he's really smart."

Crossing his arms over his chest, the silver warrior kept his face from forming the frown he desired to show.

"His ability is unique to him, Zackary. No SOLDIER has ever been capable of doing that."

Sapphire eyes widened before the man turned to look at the boy against his side. After a pause, the General decided to glean some information from his second.

"Simply being able to distinguish materia does not give one the ability to know which magics should prove most effective."

The statement hung between them before the brunette focused his attention back on the other SOLDIER.

"Cloud remembers every kind of Mako monster he's ever seen. He's tactically a genius, Sephiroth. He doesn't like to stand out, though, so it's like pulling teeth to get his opinion. I can't prove it, but I think he did poorly in his cadet classes on purpose. It's like he's trying to come off as mediocre."

Cat eyes narrowed on the obliviously sleeping blonde. Something had to be holding him back, then.

"How did you come across this supposed genius ability if he is so resistant to showing it?"

Bending an arm to hook around his knee, the brunette leaned back against the side of the truck and closed his eyes.

"Accident. When no one's around, Cloud tends to mess around with tactical programs. You know that AI system Shin-Ra's developed to help training? Spike's beaten it."

Shrugging, the older man settled himself more comfortably.

"The system is flawed. It has been known to boot off students and it won't match itself to lower skill levels for gradual increases in opponent difficulty."

The grin on the younger warrior's face was nearly blinding.

"If it detects Cloud logging on, it will even kick _me_ off."

Blinking, the General turned a critical eye to the skinny teen next to his friend.

"Do you know what he wants to do with himself in the army, then?"

"Wants to join SOLDIER, last I heard. Granted, I don't know that I've ever heard _him_ say anything."

The frown that had threatened to show earlier finally appeared on pale features.

"Is he any good with weapons?"

Making a noncommittal noise, the younger warrior turned sapphire eyes to the blonde.

"He holds back in his classes. That much I can tell. None of his instructors pay enough attention to notice. His marks show absolutely nothing special."

Now a frown appeared on Fair's usually upbeat face.

"He's hiding himself. I want to know why."

Sensing that the boy had just become a great deal more complicated than he had initially suspected, Sephiroth considered testing the blonde once this mission was finished. If he was correct, then gradually the teen would come to show his true colors after he had the confidence and the ability to "blame" his skill on someone else. Plus, that would keep Strife away from Hojo's interests. Although there was still the chore of a plausible excuse needing to be in order for why the General would not only be taking on his first apprentice, but a sub-par nobody at that.

No other conversation occurred as the two SOLDIERs settled down to rest for the night, lulled by the hum of the motor. Two days passed in relative ease, only an occasional stop required for necessary bodily functions. The blonde never once complained, although his motion-sickness was obvious. Sephiroth allowed the use of more tranquilizers from his first aid kit, perhaps a little annoyed by Fair's surprise about his willingness to "waste" supplies. There was no reason for the boy to suffer undue discomfort and he would need to be fresh to prove himself true to Zackary's diagnostic of him.

It wasn't until a pair of dragons attacked the vehicle that the General decided it was best to start their search on foot and sent the truck ahead to Nibelheim to drop off their things at the inn. Such behavior was startlingly uncommon for any breed of dragon, especially outside of mating season, and would need to be looked into. The little soldier, unfazed by the hulking corpses nearby, oriented himself with no assistance from a map or compass before starting off toward the area that the encampment had been found. Both SOLDIERs willingly followed, admittedly curious as to the teen's scouting skills. Although rain had washed away all traces, azure eyes carefully scanned the ground once the site had been reached. His elders followed suit, looking for any sign of something useful. It didn't take either SOLDIER long to realize that time and weather had destroyed anything of value, but the boy continued searching for a time, ignoring the older men. Apparently not finding anything worthwhile either, Strife next headed for the site of the corpse.

Both Zackary and Sephiroth were taking careful stock of the Nibel plains, but it was interesting to attempt to follow the boy's unspoken thought process. The silver warrior noted with mild interest that the blonde had superior recollection skills and astounding directional sense, given that he had only briefly looked at the map on the helicopter several days prior and had not seen it since. Plus, Sephiroth had only motioned to general points; given the size difference between the map and his finger, the area covered was large. Yet the boy accurately headed directly to the point that had been in the center of the General's finger.

Shortly after reaching the second site, he discovered something, if the tightly drawn blonde brows and slight scowl were anything to go by. Fair was the one to ask, thankfully saving the General the trouble.

"What's wrong, Spike?"

Without glancing over at the brunette, the boy headed off in a seemingly random direction.

"This isn't that far from the entrance."

Sephiroth, noticing his second's baffled expression, answered the unspoken question.

"Hidden caverns."

Surprised, the brunette started after the soldier without questioning why the silver warrior knew this information and he did not. There hadn't really been any discussion of where they would look during the drive.

The sheer Cliffside that they stopped beneath next looked unimpressive against the backdrop of the Nibel ranges. That was quickly dismissed when looking at the teen rapidly scaling the surprisingly smooth rock face. It wasn't until he suddenly disappeared from view, much to Fair's chagrin, that Sephiroth grasped how "hidden" these caverns were. Typically graceless, Zackary charged up after the teen, complaining about jumpings and kyuvilduns as he scaled up to a point before he blinked and started cursing. Directly behind the brunette, the General barked at him to get out of the way and followed shortly up to level ground. It was a tight squeeze for all three of them at once, but the angle, size, and type of rock made seeing this area from either the ground or the air impossible.

Strife led the way down, at ease if slower now that light was scant, not even bothering to bring his weapon around into ready position. He kept one palm on the wall to his right, not once tripping even though he had none of the night vision Mako allotted both SOLDIERs. After a few sharp turns, the sound of moving water slowly drifted to their ears. Underground rivers were not that uncommon, but this could help to explain how the blonde would be orienting himself in the dark. An eerie green glow reflecting on the rocks ahead had the eldest of the trio on edge a few minutes later. Sure enough, the river that appeared before them was made up entirely of the Lifestream. The glow left the rocks an odd coloration, but that was a negligible fact when considering _how_, precisely, Strife had come across the area.

"We can follow the river to a break. There should be a den on the right path."

The implication that the entire collection of soldiers had become food was not lost on either SOLDIER. However, realistically, by now that was an entirely plausible solution. As was the undercurrent that the blonde would not be taking the lead at that point. Sephiroth was forced to put aside his questions of how, when, and why the boy had found and explored this place and focus himself on his duty.

"You'll stay by the Lifestream once we get to the break, soldier. Should nothing come of it, think of where else we could go."

Ignoring the surprise and indignance, the silver warrior brusquely strode along the mostly flat path at the side of the Mako river. His second followed, arguing the SOLDIER's case about safety precautions to the silent blonde. The teen never made a single rebuttal.

An hour's walk had the trio at the split, where Sephiroth drew his sword and started into the smaller tunnel. Behind him, Fair followed suit. The walk grew more tense the greater the distance between them and the blonde, but silence was paramount when entering an unknown Mako-monster infested area. The element of surprise tended to be the most important.

Pebbles clacked against one another up ahead and Sephiroth paused, waiting to detect any monster heading his way. The noise remained distant, so the General cautiously continued his forward march, ignoring the dampness of the rock walls. Only his own Mako-enhanced vision let him see the jutting rocks and awkwardly narrowing opening. If the path didn't open up soon, both SOLDIERs would be at a disadvantage, only able to rely on materia in the fight that was sure to happen.

The stench of decay that wafted from up ahead was both a blessing and a curse. As nauseating as the scent was, it would cover the smell of the approaching warriors. Unfortunately, the stench also gave weight to Strife's prediction of dead units. It could be the remains of other beasts, to be sure, but simply knowing that there were forty-four unaccounted for men out here was enough to cause doubt.

Behind him, Fair made a soft sound of disgust to which the General turned around. The younger SOLDIER's gloved hand was held before sapphire eyes with a look of revulsion. Noticing his commander looking in his direction, the brunette lowered his hand and tilted it to allow jade eyes to take in the liquid coating. Although his vision was not good enough to allow him to detect color with as little surrounding light as he had, the brown leather looked darker where it was wet and when the hand was raised closer to his face the General could tell – if barely due to the rot permeating the area – that the walls were coated in blood. If this was at all usual, Strife had a lot of explaining to do.

Turning away and continuing down the path, the head SOLDIER mentally frowned and checked over his materia. The beasts down here were more than likely vicious enough to have killed off three units of soldiers.

The path before him sharply widened and cat eyes narrowed, bringing up a leather-clad hand to hide away the glow from his eyes. Sephiroth had to admit, had his vision not been as strong as it was, he would have believed that there were only large boulders of odd shapes in the area. It wasn't difficult to pick out stray, broken bones of various shapes and sizes, but the hulking masses before him were not normal Mako beasts. The littlest creatures were reptilian in form, with unusable wings drooping on their sleek backs. They seemed to be the only active ones, busily ripping hunks of flesh and muscle from the tattered remains of some unfortunate wolf. It wasn't easy to tell whether the large stones were actual stones or mid-sized, tail-less dragon-like monsters. Analytically speaking, should something go wrong during the battle, the terrain put the SOLDIERs at a disadvantage. Backing out now gave no promise of survival, either. This was simply a foul situation. One thing was certain in the silver warrior's mind, though: this nest of Mako beasts wasn't even _native_ to the continent.

A subtle motion of the hand holding the Masamune had Fair at his side, shielding his eyes in a similar fashion. With a brief exchange of glances, they spread out enough to keep from interfering with one another. The size of the adults would hinder them minutely, with any luck, and the babies should be quick kills.

Briefly, the General held his sword in a defensive stance as he directed his energy into his manipulate materia. It was a gamble, but controlling one of the adults would make this exceptionally less dangerous. Off to the side, Zackary was casting a lightning combination on the cluster of babies. Both spells went off at once, causing an echoing cacophony of shrieks as the vulnerable children withered. The manipulate managed to be effective and the General wasted no time in turning the monster on the younger creatures. The moment one of those enormous boulder-like forms stretched out to full size, the SOLDIER was no longer certain that he was controlling an adult. It made little difference, as he could not be distracted with such irrelevant thoughts.

Zackary was using his well-honed skills to run through an oncoming hoard of the young ones, slicing through with relative ease. Sapphire eyes were set, a calculating expression on the brunette's face as his split-second reactions kept him from more than minor scrapes. Sephiroth was unconcerned, knowing that Fair could handle himself. He set to his own task, pleased that the monster's razor teeth easily rended through the flesh and bone of its young. The other boulders began unwinding themselves, rearing up without sound. One turned bright yellow eyes toward the elite SOLDIER, staring directly into jade before lunging forward with surprising speed. Dodging out of the way of the massive jaws gnashing through the air, the silver warrior drew his own Mako beast around to seize the throat of the attacker. With a gurgle, the large beast fell to the side with blood gushing from its torn throat.

Unfortunately, before he could command another attack, the fallen one swung out with one petrified wing, sheering into the smaller one's face and breaking the trance. Unexpectedly, two sets of yellow eyes turned almost instantly toward him. They worked in unison, taking opposing angles and sides from which to strike, and causing the General to retreat every few attacks or risk having one at his back. The scales on the adults were interesting, being slick and contoured to deflect the slashes and swipes that normal beasts could inflict. This had the side effect of lessening the damage of sword attacks.

Not one to be startled by something that could be easily remedied, the SOLDIER drew into defensive sword work and summoned an area fire attack. The monsters hissed as they drew back, but not before spitting an oddly hued liquid that caught fire and forced the blaze hotter. With narrowed eyes, Sephiroth followed up with a directed fire attack on the wounded monster. A loud shriek was his only warning before the bloodied beast charged forward, scales ablaze. Changing to an offensive position, the General lunged with his sword poised to plunge into the open throat. To his surprise, the beast halted and bristled, scales shimmering under the fire. A child dropped from above, distracting the SOLDIER as he disposed of the annoyance, only to turn his vision back to more bristling monsters, scales covered in a substance that caught flame quickly and held it.

Belatedly, Sephiroth recalled Strife's warning against fire, but this was the first time that the celebrated SOLDIER had seen his own attack effectively used against him. Annoyance briefly flared in his mind, but was rapidly set aside as his blade sunk into the tender, exposed throat of the wounded beast and severed the stocky neck. Turning from the dead monster, sword still poised for the attack, Sephiroth deftly avoided the substance shot toward his face from the closest monster's mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, the General noted that Fair was quite a bit further away from him than he had been earlier.

A sudden, high decibel wail resounded off of the walls and sent the hanging stalactites trembling. The noise was disorienting, but not enough for the SOLDIER to drop his guard even as he quickly checked for the source. The echo of the scream still ringing in his ears, Sephiroth twisted his body to block a clawed appendage lowering to strike him.

With startling clarity, the silver warrior realized what was happening too late to prevent it. A bulky body whipped up, cracking the wall and sending fine tremors through the cave. Zackary, who had just managed to bring down one of the larger creatures and had turned to fend off the snapping jaws of another, had only the barest second to detect the rock that had snapped away from the ceiling. His reflexes only prevented the tip of the stalactite from shooting through his head, instead causing the rock to lodge into his chest.

With a pained growl, the brunette collapsed and then all of those beasts turned toward Sephiroth. These monsters were sentient. As grim as that revelation was, the General had no time to ponder it. Zackary was fatally wounded, or would be if that rock wasn't removed so that he could be healed, and there were an unfortunate number of Mako monsters remaining. Most of them were collecting to spread the fire.

Centering in on the largest group, jade eyes narrowed as the SOLDIER cast a high level ice and watched as even the flames were coated in the hard casing of frozen water. It unfortunately didn't last, the Mako having warped these creatures to an uncomfortable resilience that allowed them to struggle out of their freezing confines to continue attacking. Sephiroth, however, could not afford a long – if satisfyingly challenging – fight when he had to get Fair taken care of. As much as the brunette could be the source of headaches, the man was also the _only_ individual wholly unaffected by the silver warrior's titles, honors, or even his very _aura_. Zackary was _his_ friend and a consuming battle was not worth losing that.

Snapping jaws lunged toward the SOLDIER at a staggered rate, allowing each beast to get in a shot without interfering with another, and the General gracefully dodged and blocked each attack, casting the highest level spells he could focus his attention on in quick succession as he danced out of reach of fangs and claws alike. The beasts were slow to fall, wary now to stay spaced out so casting a group spell would be wasteful and inefficient. Irritation simmering in the back of his mind, the SOLDIER restrained himself from calling on his ultima materia tucked into his right bracer and focused all of his mind on the contain he had brought, charging the air around him before releasing a powerful freeze into the two closest monsters. With some satisfaction, he listened to their pained shrieks as they collapsed, unable to even writhe in agony. Piercing cat eyes turned from the fallen to find the others changing tactics. Atrophied wings fanned out, brittle and hardly threatening in and of themselves. As one, those surrounding him lowered their heads to protect their necks and let loose a violent wave of sound. Almost wincing, Sephiroth shook off his rapidly growing disorientation and gathered himself into a defensive crouch.

A subtle shift caused jade to flicker to the side, a painful hollow sinking into his gut as he realized that the younger SOLDIER was about to be ripped to shreds while the General was in no position to help. Muscles contracting, the silver warrior sprang into action, determined to prevent what seemed inevitable. Not two powerful strides toward the unconscious SOLDIER, the hulking form over the brunette leaned down, massive mouth split wide, and the head simply fell. Snout impacting the ground, the scaled appendage tilted and dropped to the side while the massive body stayed poised to attack. All at once, blood gushed from the suddenly severed neck, spraying across the cave from the cleanly sliced carotid artery. Before the SOLDIER could even fully process the event, he felt a distinct drop in the temperature to the point that his breath was visible before him. Turning in full preparation for an attack, the silver warrior was hard-pressed to hide his shock upon finding solid ice statues instead of some kind of breath attack. Now was not the time to stare in wonder, however; Zackary was in need of immediate medical attention.

A small blonde heaved the stalactite from the brunette's chest, turning him even as Sephiroth hurried over, restore already activated. Kneeling and pressing the palm of his free hand to the fallen SOLDIER's wound, Sephiroth released a powerful cure. His sword stayed resolutely gripped in his other hand, senses alert for any disturbance. Mind systematically sorting through what he had witnessed, the silver warrior tensed as his brain caught hold of a few things. The soldier had no exposure to Mako and by all rights shouldn't be able to see at all in this completely black area – he headed unerringly to the downed brunette without aid of walls or tripping over any bones littering the ground. Those azure eyes were not dull like a normal man's would be in this darkness and his pupils were not wide to catch any stray light possible, but rather there was an iridescent sheen and narrowed pupils. The large chunk of bloodied rock resting to the side must have weighed a good deal more than those spindly arms could hold; it looked to be enough to give SOLDIER thirds trouble. The gun that should have been over his shoulder was missing and no other Shin-Ra issued weapon was noticeable on his person. Further, the little blonde was particularly calm in this situation.

By simple deduction, Sephiroth could guess the monsters-made-ice-sculptures were courtesy of the Strife boy, as was the beheaded lumbering giant still poised for attack next to them. _How_ was an entirely separate matter, and an alarming thought at that. The boy was unarmed and that was not a standard ice spell by any stretch of the imagination.

Maintaining his outward calm, the SOLDIER reached for a more powerful cure to heal over the gaping hole even as his sword tilted into a better position should he require it. The restore wasn't as effective as he would have liked, but he did not have a full-cure on him and potions wouldn't have done any better. He also didn't have his heal on him, so there was no way for him to prevent possible infection.

A movement to the side startled the silver warrior into action, swiftly heading toward the simple-minded Mako beast only to be cut off by the solid ice that encased it. Shoulders tense, the SOLDIER turned back around to look at the boy who seemed wholly focused on the brunette next to him. That wasn't coincidence and the silver warrior knew it. That ice was Strife's doing.

Voice low, silky but bordering on menacing, the General finally spoke.

"What are you?"

Azure eyes glared sharply, but the blonde's voice was calm.

"Strife Cloud, from Nibelheim. That's all that matters."

Slamming his fist against some nearby rocks, ignoring the pain that action caused, the General allowed his fury to well up in his voice.

"Do not lie to me. You aren't normal."

A fleeting expression of sorrow appeared on the boy's face before he became closed off again.

"No, I'm not. I have not lied, however."

Changing position quickly, the older man readied his weapon.

"What do you hide, Strife?"

With a blank expression, the teen remained seated next to the unconscious brunette.

"You wouldn't believe me, sir."

Jade eyes narrowed, displeased with the response.

"Try me."

A heavy sigh erupted from the teen before a pale green light spread from his hands out to Fair's unconscious form.

"Nibelheim burned, once."

Keeping himself poised for attack, Sephiroth momentarily marveled at the visibly closing wounds lining his second's still body.

"Regale me."

Crossing his arms as he shifted to sit more comfortably on the hard ground, the blonde remained completely neutral to the sword point directed toward his chest. Dispassionate eyes stared directly into jade, hardly cowed by the sight before him.

"A great man learned a terrible secret there. The Planet suffered for it the most. She vowed to never let any suffer in such a way again, after all was said and done."

Pale blue eyes turned toward the no longer life-threateningly injured brunette.

"When a sister is in danger, a WEAPON will defend her."

"Sister?"

Softly glowing blue eyes turned toward jade once more. The boy remained silent, even after the older man recoiled in unabashed shock.

"You are one of the Planet's WEAPONs?"

Blue eyes dimmed, another sad expression crossing tan features.

"I am Strife Cloud of Nibelheim. I was normal, once. The Planet and her sisters need protection."

Completely drawing back, the silver warrior leaned heavily against the wall behind him. Hojo had spent years attempting to find out anything about the WEAPONs. Not only was this boy precisely what the man had been searching for, but he was also a WEAPON shared by multiple worlds.

"…Is it normal for planets to share their protective measures?"

Sighing, the blonde let his arms drop to rest against his legs.

"No."

Then the boy was completely alien even among his own kind. Sharp jade eyes glanced at Fair before it occurred to him that the blonde had no materia. His magic was innate. This was impossible.

"I never heard of Nibelheim burning before now."

For a moment the depth in azure eyes hinted at profound knowledge as though they had seen a thousand years. Sephiroth wondered if that wasn't true.

"Different Nibelheim, different Planet."

"How many worlds have you defended?"

Turning away, the blonde silently stood and brushed himself off. Recognizing that his question would receive no answer and unwilling to provoke a being he had no understanding of, the General tried another topic, mind quickly organizing all that he had been told.

"Why do you hide in plain sight?"

The small blonde paused before picking up the brunette's sword and strapping it to his back.

"I want to live."

Without preamble, the teen proceeded to hoist the younger SOLDIER into his arms and start back out the way they came. The General followed silently, contemplating the myriad of facts before him. Nothing of significance was said until nightfall, when they reached the town of Nibelheim. Sephiroth acquired the key to their room at the inn, having taken over carrying Zackary to keep up the blonde's illusion. It wasn't until after the brunette warrior was placed in a bed that the silver-haired male spoke directly about the topic he had been mulling over for some time.

"Should I offer you the position, would you take up an apprenticeship with me?"

From the far end of the room, pale eyes watched the SOLDIER blankly.

"Why?"

Sighing, Sephiroth sat on the edge of the empty bed.

"It would give us plausible excuse to speak to one another."

For a minute the teen was silent – conflicted – and the silver warrior could hardly blame him. After spending so much time trying to come across as nothing impressive, the boy was being asked to become the center of attention. However, given that the blonde was indeed clever, he had to be taking into account the matter of the situation report that had to be written up. There was no way for him to slip under the company's radar anymore. Not unless he managed to utterly disappear off of the face of the Planet.

"I accept."

Pleased, the SOLDIER nodded in recognition and pondered how long it would take to get the boy outside of Midgar again. The apprenticeship was flimsy as an alibi considering how important solo missions were to the General. Irrelevantly, the silver warrior briefly wondered what happened to the blonde's standard issue gun.


	2. Necessary

A soft hiss of pain directed jade eyes away from staring out of the distant window at the silent earthen town, focusing instead on the shifting brunette lying unconscious on the far bed. Strife had left some time ago, busying himself performing menial tasks that the General would have otherwise attended to since he had not intended to bring any low-ranking officers. The blonde had come in once earlier, placing food in the silver warrior's general vicinity but staying distant, and removed himself from the room after the SOLDIER had eaten with the mention of visiting a relative and collecting a meal from the proprietors of the inn for Zackary when he awakened. This left the silver warrior alone with his thoughts and little else to occupy himself. For the past hour he had been ironing out the proper report, typing up the pertinent information on his Shin-Ra issued laptop. The General expected to have the now monster free den looked into and possibly have several units head underground to more fully explore in case any tunnels led to another breeding ground; markings on his issued map indicated the hidden entryway and undoubtedly scientists would be drawn to the underground river.

The details of the site of the den were skimped due to an unfortunate lapse of character as the SOLDIER had been far more focused on first Zackary's _not death_ and then the emergence of a WEAPON into his perfectly constructed world. Sephiroth could no more remember the shapes of the bones left in the room than he could recall the names of any of the denizens of this little village that had greeted him when he arrived. He refused to speculate in his report on the remains and only mentioned them as a warning to be aware of their existence. Zackary's combat injury was properly documented as was its treatment by way of several materia casts. Notes were added about fire materia and the reversal, which would be more than enough evidence to prevent any foolhardy captain from issuing any fire when heading into this area. By the time any reinforcements arrived, those solid ice status left behind would be gone, bodies dissolved back to Mako; the General precisely noted the teen's skill with restorative materia along with his usefulness in scouting and tracking. As an afterthought, the SOLDIER elite added a minor note of interest in further exploring the cadet's skills with spells.

Having finished all that needed to be done on that avenue, the silver warrior let his gaze wander out to the town that was dead with the night, contemplating what he would do with the WEAPON. He still didn't even know the blonde's strength or skill beyond the most rudimentary grasp. The General would have to study the mentor system at length once more, now from the perspective of a SOLDIER taking on an apprentice instead of from the perspective of a figure of authority searching through documents to make certain there were no discrepancies or easily visible concerns. In order to cover the blonde's tracks, Sephiroth would have to do everything precisely and properly; the room for error was less than none. Strife had impressive guile for only one man to even vaguely grasp that there was something _off_ about him; the SOLDIER doubted that he would need to worry about anything from that end. Zackary, on the other hand, had no idea how right he was that the little blonde was holding back for his classes.

Jade eyes narrowed on his sleeping comrade's face, now reminded of the issue of Fair and whether or not there were any lasting effects from his near-death experience. Some men did not mentally recover no matter how fully physically healed they were. Certain scars caused incredible turmoil in individuals that could be detrimental on the battlefield.

A shudder of tightly shut sapphire eyes was all the warning there was before the brunette shot upright in his bed, hand immediately grasping for his sword. The weapon was currently lying on the table Sephiroth was seated at, next to the recently shut laptop and well out of reach.

"Zackary."

Dilated eyes swiveled instantly to the General before the SOLDIER twitched bodily and turned to take stock of the room, reaching a hand up to press against his undamaged chest. Blinking, sapphire eyes turned down to the smooth flesh and torn uniform shirt in surprise.

"What… happened?"

Tilting his head to regard the confused SOLDIER, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes on the unblemished flesh that should have held at least a minor scar.

"The monsters were sentient and highly coordinated. Are you feeling ill, Fair? I am not certain that infection was not able to take root."

Glancing around the room again, just now taking stock of where everything was situated, the brunette failed to respond to the question. Just as the General was about to pose his words more harshly to force a proper answer, a hint of panic entered tan features.

"Where's Spike?"

The blonde in question forestalled any further speech by pushing the room's door open with a shoulder and lugging in a tray loaded with different freshly prepared foods. Dark azure eyes flickered over to the brunette, relief filtering into his face as he set down the meal.

"Cloud! You okay? You didn't get attacked, did you?"

Cutting the SOLDIER off before he could continue his ridiculous tirade of irrelevant questions, the silver warrior crossed his arms but did not rise from his seated position at the table.

"Cadet Strife is of no concern, Zackary. He is well rested after expending his energy to heal you. My original inquiry remains: are you ill or not?"

The brunette blinked and looked down at himself again, pulling the irreparable shirt off in a smooth motion and gingerly feeling around the area that had been exposed by the ripped cloth.

"I don't feel particularly bad or anything. …Wait."

Narrowed Mako blue eyes turned to look up at the waiting soldier.

"You cast some magic? Enough to keep me alive?"

Scoffing, the General stood from his claimed wooden chair and strode in a bored fashion toward the far wall and the window he had been idly gazing toward before.

"Young Strife healed you himself. I did not detect anything faulty in his abilities."

He was walking a fine edge here and the SOLDIER elite knew it. One false step could place him in direct opposition with the silent WEAPON.

"When we return you will be seeing a shift in your schedule, Zackary."

An injured sound escaped the younger SOLDIER's lips before the brunette sent a frosty glare toward the General that Sephiroth only caught out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not hurt bad enough to be stuck behind a desk!"

Sending his own cool glare at the brunette, the silver warrior cocked his head briefly toward the blonde before returning his focus to the sleepy town outside, making certain that he kept an angle that allowed him to observe the room without actively appearing to be focusing on anything. Although Nibelheim had a highly productive reactor, the area had not changed dramatically and remained like most small country towns; when the sun set and the stars and moon became the only natural light to move by, everything simply shut down until sunrise. The only commotion detectable was that of the men and women on the first floor of the inn drinking something potently alcoholic, judging from the smell that permeated the log fire heated air, and chittering about the day.

"Whether you suffer a crippling debilitation or not is irrelevant on this matter. I will need to correct my schedule for the inclusion of an apprentice. Seeing as you have enough free time to assist other SOLDIER mentors, I see no reason why you cannot accept a few responsibilities to help me with my own."

Mako blue eyes blinked in obvious shock before the brunette sputtered something unintelligible and fell silent. The startle rapidly left tan features as sapphire eyes narrowed in thought. After a few minutes the soldier off to the side fidgeted as if nervous, but the General did not smell the sour scent of anxiety that was being outwardly displayed. Finally, a blinding smile lit the young SOLDIER's face as he turned his focus on the cadet.

"Congratulations, Spike! I don't think anyone's ever managed to impress Sephiroth enough to make him decide to become a mentor."

A wane smile drew at the corners of the blonde's lips as azure eyes lidded in obvious relief.

"Zack?"

Not losing his brilliant smile, the brunette eyed the cadet in a questioning manner.

"What's up, Spike?"

Walking slowly over from the table to the bed, the soldier remained silent with both hands limply at his sides. Golden hair covered his eyes from view as his head lowered toward the floor. When he reached the SOLDIER on the bed, azure eyes glinted in the light with a glassy sheen and both small hands fisted at his sides.

"Never scare me like that again."

The bright smile softened to something that felt much less false to the older SOLDIER as the brunette reached up a hand to ruffle golden hair and pull the unresisting blonde forward. Pressing the cadet's head against his chest with the hand still sunk into spiked locks, Zackary leaned his weight on his free hand propped at his side.

"It's okay, Cloud."

Thin shoulders shook, but the soldier remained mute. Zackary continued bracing the slightly stiff blonde against him, a tired expression overcoming his features. Sephiroth watched from the corner of his eye as the cadet pulled back to look up at the seated SOLDIER, wetness glittering in pale eyes. After a slightly shaky breath, Strife rose from the bed and gestured vaguely toward the table.

"Get something to eat. You have to be hungry by now."

His smile toned down to a grin as the brunette brought himself upright and stretched his arms over his head.

"Yeah, yeah; thanks for that."

Seating himself in front of the tray, the SOLDIER immediately began eating and the General turned his focus discretely back out of the window. There was decidedly nothing off about Fair's behavior; he would recover from this experience easily. That would not prevent a miniscule concern about the energetic man's health until it was confirmed by the physical. The WEAPON, however, Sephiroth did not know enough about to discern any information from his most recent actions, and therefore forced the General into speculation.

"Man, this stuff's good! What's in the soup?"

"Dragon."

The wheezing cough that followed the WEAPON's statement almost caused silver brows to knit together in exasperation. Sometimes keeping track of Fair's health was a fulltime career. Piercing jade eyes turned to the seated male before a slightly amused look overcame pale features. The SOLDIER had forgone using utensils and had merely lifted the bowl to his lips, drinking down the soup in long draughts. Sapphire eyes caught his feline gaze as the bowl returned to its place on the tray, dangling a Nibel apple-cinnamon bun in his free hand. Jade eyes narrowed in moderate annoyance although the silver warrior did acquiesce to the silent request. One of his very few fond memories of his childhood was of the Nibel pastries that Professor Gast had brought him whenever he had the time. His favorite had always been the cinnamon buns and he had never found a bakery that made them as well anywhere else in the world. It was unfortunate that the woman who baked the pastries did not ship them; Sephiroth alone would have made her a small fortune in sales.

Taking up the plate of buns, the silver warrior deftly removed his gloves and began snacking on the treats. He had avoided looking at the tray earlier since he had already eaten and Zackary needed the food to assist in his recovery, regardless of how easily the elite could detect the scent of his favorite fare. Fair was likely the only one besides Hojo with any knowledge of the silver warrior's favored foods and made a point to get a few things when missions allowed it; the brunette did not know that it was _this_ particular pastry that Sephiroth desired but it was the thought that counted and the General was rather fond of trying the handmade treats from various parts of the world.

"So Cloud's your apprentice, now? He's _that_ good with materia? Do you think the medics would want him?"

With a slightly displeased frown, the SOLDIER elite sent a sideways glance at the blonde standing out of the way.

"He might prove useful in that area, however I have more interest in placing him in direct combat and for that I am adequate with casting."

The SOLDIER did not argue, chewing on his own pastry before conversing on another topic.

"Did you confirm the soldiers' deaths?"

As his lips curled down further, the silver warrior chewed on the small piece of pastry in his mouth and eyed the smiling brunette. While the question was as nonchalant as any other, the underlying concern was obvious. That was their sole purpose on this mission, and Sephiroth had never once failed to complete an assignment. If the remains were not recovered, they would stay and search further. Detestable as the situation was, the General had no doubts that this particular _failure_ would be overlooked in favor of what they _had_ found. The cover story had already been weaved, after all; what would Shin-Ra care if they never found even the dog tags to know for sure?

With a silent motion of his throat, the silver warrior swallowed the bun and casually reached for the drink Zackary had recently replaced on the tabletop. After clearing his mouth, the SOLDIER cocked his head in a benign fashion to allow his compatriot the chance to interpret his statement however he desired.

"I had other matters to attend to."

A small flush fanned across dark features before the brunette's grin brightened. For a moment Sephiroth was almost certain he was going to regret the allowance due to whatever ridiculous sentence spewed from the younger SOLDIER's lips, but Zackary merely turned his head and jerked it, silently asking the blonde to come closer. The General refused to raise his guard, no matter how much his instincts commanded that he be prepared in front of this unknown element closing in on him. The brunette knew him _frighteningly_ well and would immediately pick up on the subtle change in his body and demeanor.

Attentive, the cadet hurried to the brunette's side and waited with a silent question in his eyes. The SOLDIER smiled gently and reached up an arm to pat the blonde's shoulder, the exact communication of the action lost on the silver warrior although the words were easy enough to grasp.

"You did great, Spike. Normally support doesn't get nearly as involved in a fight, but I'm glad you were here. What's say you tell me all about it tomorrow?"

Narrowing his eyes on the side of the younger SOLDIER's head, the General's lips thinned but he did not speak. He needed to go over what could and could not be said privately with the blonde before any bizarre mishap could occur to endanger anything. The fact that the brunette had requested to wait until morning meant that he was still exhausted or recovering but regardless of which it was Sephiroth knew he would have his chance after the man was asleep.

"Tomorrow. Go to bed, okay? I'll clean all this up."

The blonde made a vague gesture to the table and the young SOLDIER acquiesced, getting up and returning to his bed only to fall across it with a tired thwump that puffed the sheets out on either side of his heavy frame. Strife immediately began putting the dishes back onto the tray in order to remove the noise as rapidly as possible. Blue eyes cast an unreadable expression toward the brunette, now that Sephiroth was actually paying critical attention and categorizing all behaviors, before turning to lock onto jade. A trill of pure adrenaline shot up the silver warrior's spine, years upon years of battle instincts screaming at him that _this was not to be trifled with_. Although both men were silent, it was obvious that Strife had the exact same idea in mind of meeting up when Zackary was asleep. Tilting his head in acknowledgement, Sephiroth watched the cadet stand up with the tray in hand and exit through that same plain wooden door out into the rather narrow hallway.

On his bed, Zackary shifted until he was able to burrow under the sheets without actually bothering to get up again. Although amusing, the silver warrior did not have the patience for his companion's more ridiculous behaviors tonight. With a subtle motion, Sephiroth trained his mind on the seal materia still in his left bracer and released the spell before the other SOLDIER had even a slight grasp of the energy spike. Fair was fully unconscious in his usual sprawl, unlikely to awaken for any reason in his current induced slumber. The older SOLDIER checked the brunette over briefly before collecting his sword and various materia, equipping himself properly as he exited the room.

Striding confidently through the narrow hall, trying not to breathe too deeply of the staggering scent of mead, the General descended the creaking stairs down into the main room. The common sounds of drunk humans lingered in the air, practically pulsing from the room beyond, and feline eyes caught sight of at least one group of men slurring some mountain song that Sephiroth thought had something to do with prosperity but he could not distinguish most of the words. Luckily, everyone seemed busy enough to not notice the SOLDIER and so he was mostly left to himself. Still, he was required to ignore the blatant stares of the innkeeper and his progeny that trailed after him as he headed past the registration desk and out the doors into the night, completely forgoing the tables and alcohol passing freely in the other room. Strife had not been in the front, but Sephiroth had no doubts that he would be making his way out shortly if he wasn't already out in the night waiting. The chill snap of mountain air that greeted him as he opened the inn's door was just as biting as he recalled from his younger days and just as easily dismissed. A cursory glance around the immediate vicinity showed no sign of sun-bright hair, so the silver warrior stepped out and made his way to the nearby unusable water tower. Leaning against the side, arms crossed over his chest, Sephiroth mulled over his current situation as he kept his senses clear in case of wandering monsters.

He _would not_ present his findings to Hojo, for certain. No Turks needed to know, either, and non-military personnel equally had no business knowing about the WEAPON. Not even sparing a thought for the president, the General mulled over the possibility of letting SOLDIERs know basic facts about the WEAPON, such as combat strength and agility, without giving them any clue as to there actually being a planetary defender in their midst. The idea was dismissed shortly for, although the General trusted his SOLDIERs to hold their own in combat, he did not feel that he had a firm enough grasp of their loyalties to give them such sensitive information; they were sure to inquire how he discovered such knowledge and any internal discussion ran the risk of leaking to all the wrong people. Not even Zackary could be trusted enough – especially not right after their recent discussions on Strife. The younger SOLDIER climbed the ranks with a speed that rivaled Sephiroth's own ascension and that meant wits and mental clarity, contrary to the easy-going persona frequently displayed; without question Zackary would connect the events in his mind. Every interaction with the WEAPON would need to be carefully orchestrated to prevent any suspicion or curiosity beyond the initial influx from the Turks, always ill-at-ease with any happenings they had not predicted. The General would be sharing this particular secret with Strife alone.

A sharp contrast of light from the newly opened door across the road caused the silver warrior to cant his head in that direction, taking in the fully uniformed silhouette as the soldier stepped out into the street, bright blonde hair spiked up as prominently as ever. Feline eyes glanced surreptitiously at the old man hovering at the window by the inn door, but did not make eye contact with the WEAPON to stem the small-town gossip. The SOLDIER was mildly annoyed that Strife turned to do a circuit around the town, but could not fault the blonde for his dedication to maintaining his façade. It took several minutes of the General holding his pose and the soldier doing nothing illicit for the innkeeper to grow bored of the lack of entertainment and retreat from the window.

Soon after the silhouette retreated, the blonde finished his circuit and marched up to the silver warrior, saluting crisply.

"Nothing to report in town, sir, although from a distance it looked as though there might be a dragon on the plains."

Returning the salute as training dictated, the SOLDIER turned toward the town entrance and motioned the soldier to follow him. There was a possibility that the WEAPON had indeed seen a dragon, and such a thing needed to be dealt with swiftly, but even if there was nothing it allowed them to put distance between themselves and anyone interested in snooping. Their pace as they set out into the grasslands was even and slow, the light of the waning moon more than enough for the General and undoubtedly enough for the blonde as well. Neither spoke as they put a sizeable distance between themselves and the town, alert for any danger. Sephiroth was content to keep an eye out for monsters while maintaining his observation of the WEAPON, unperturbed by the sounds of nocturnal creatures surrounding them. The silence came to an abrupt end, nearly startling the silver warrior had he not been keeping such a keen eye on the blonde.

"You killed the monsters; I have no knowledge of what they looked like, how strong they were, or what really happened in the den. As your support, I got worried and started to make my way into the caverns after you, stopping when I was close enough to hear the sounds of battle. When the fighting stopped I continued forward and found you working to heal Zack."

The WEAPON paused, glowing azure eyes glancing over at the silent General before continuing.

"All of the people who would have any say in what happens to me know that Zack and I are friends; my immediate attempt to rush in and heal him won't surprise them. Do you work with materia better slotted or unslotted?"

Jade eyes blinked once, although the silver warrior did not turn to face the soldier keeping pace alongside him. Sephiroth debated his response for a few seconds, but he had a feeling he knew the direction Strife's logic was progressing and the blonde wasn't likely to get any real combat advantage out of the SOLDIER's response.

"Casting is far easier when the materia is slotted, but the magic is stronger when the materia is in my hand."

Out of the corner of his eye, the silver warrior saw a slight nod of confirmation before the soldier continued.

"You were holding your restore to make the wound close faster. Some more monsters came and you released the materia to fend off those before they could get close."

Nodding, the General smoothly intersected, amused with this seamless lie.

"And you picked it up, wanting to help Zackary however possible. There are recorded instances of individuals with no formal training utilizing materia through sheer will alone."

The WEAPON remained silent, although the silver warrior detected no irritation, so he continued.

"When I returned from dispatching the monsters you had expended all of your energy and Zackary was fully healed. We made our way out and trekked toward Nibelheim, where we have hence stayed while awaiting backup. My official report gives enough leeway for this to be plausible."

Both males descended into silence then, comfortable enough to end the discussion there. Sephiroth had no doubts that the blonde had practice in fitting together lies to gloss over his abilities and there was no small amount of pride on the SOLDIER's part to be involved. This was something far beyond the scope of Shin-Ra or military training; the silver warrior had a direct _lucid_ connection to the Planet, something that had not been available to mankind since the Cetra were prominent figures in history.

Stopping abruptly, casting his feline gaze back toward the invisible town behind them briefly, the silver warrior took a cursory glance around the grasslands before resting his eyes on the blonde currently watching him silently from a few paces away.

"I mean to request a chance to spar with you, without external interference."

Azure eyes blinked once, absorbing the request, before the soldier turned to fully face the General and bright eyes narrowed.

"Alright."

With a calm sweep of his hand, the WEAPON gestured toward the Masamune. Sephiroth spared himself only a moment to wonder how the blonde intended to fight him without a weapon in hand, not believing for one second that a WEAPON had the power to stop a blade with skin contact alone, before he unsheathed his sword. Holding the blade toward the ground, the silver warrior brought his right hand up in a similar gesture as the soldier.

"Will you be fighting freehand, then?"

Expression neutral, the small blonde brought his right arm straight out in front of himself and curled his fingers as if loosely clutching the hilt of a sword. Faint tendrils of green curled up around the soldier's feet before a pulse of green so bright it was almost white shot out from his curled hand. The light faded as soon as it came, leaving behind a broadsword the likes of which the General had never before seen. Tracing the translucent blade and spiked hand guard with jade eyes, the silver warrior critically searched his knowledge of all weapon smiths and sword designs for any hint of the material used. There were many impressive alloys on the market, but nothing the least bit similar to the weapon in front of him now.

"Ultima."

For a moment Sephiroth tensed in grim acknowledgement of his own folly and imminent demise, but when several seconds passed with no flare of pure green energy ripping into him, the silver warrior realized that the blonde had not, in fact, cast a spell. Meeting softly glowing blue eyes, the General raised a brow in question. A small, half-realized smile drew up the shorter male's lips, but he otherwise declined to respond. Bringing his other hand to the sword's hilt and shifting his feet, the WEAPON stood poised to fight. Without hesitance the General brought the Masamune up, ready for combat. Calculating feline eyes darted quickly along the blonde's frame, taking in possible weak points and evaluating the defensive capabilities of such a stance.

There was little time for speculation then, for the WEAPON sprang into motion, swinging the blade in his hands with the speed and accuracy of a veteran fighter. The General changed the angle of his own blade to block, prepared to press back and change the maneuver into his own offensive counter. Weapons connected in a high metallic clang and suddenly Sephiroth found himself thrown backward, twisting rapidly and suppressing a pained wince as he landed in a crouch. Both wrists stung in warning and the silver warrior amended to himself that blocking was only to be used as a last resort.

The translucent blade came bearing down on him and this time Sephiroth flung himself to the side in a long-practiced flip, feline eyes locked on his opponent. His own sword thrust out in a diagonal slash, heading toward the WEAPON's unprotected side and abruptly catching on the broadsword that moved to intercept. The blonde was fast.

Jumping back to a safe distance, the SOLDIER elite activated his fire materia as he rushed the oncoming blonde, setting off a low-level spell to test magic resistance as he dodged around the oncoming blade. The fire, Sephiroth noted, had little if any effect aside from sensory interference. It was enough for the General's sword to lance through the blonde's shoulder, halted – surprisingly enough – by a hand clutching the Masamune's blade. Jade eyes locked on powerfully glowing azure as the hand currently stopping his attack pulled the sword back out. Sephiroth could not ignore how his own strength pressing forward seemed irrelevant against the WEAPON. Feline eyes were drawn to the wounded shoulder, an almost bewildered fascination taking hold as bright green laced across the damaged area and the wound was completely erased. The blonde's healing rate was even better than an elite's.

The hand still clutching Masamune's blade twisted to the side and yanked while the WEAPON's sword swiped toward him. In a split-second decision, the General released his grip on his own blade and vaulted out of the path of the oncoming weapon. The blonde tossed the Masamune into the tall grass behind him, returning both hands to the hilt of his blade. Feline eyes narrowed, although the SOLDIER refused to rise for the blatant taunt. Sephiroth could admit to being at an incredible disadvantage, but the challenge he was facing was far more stimulating than any of his recent fieldwork and he was not about to cede the battle when so little of his own skills had been shown in return.

Swiftly, the silver warrior activated the earth materia in his left bracer, using the WEAPON's momentary stagger to rush toward his own blade. Sephiroth only had a bare moment as he gripped the hilt before feline eyes widened in shock and he recoiled, tossed to the ground by a blast of flames. The WEAPON had activated the General's own fire materia and held the spell, leaving it ready in ambush _knowing_ that Sephiroth would attempt to retrieve his sword. Grimacing, the SOLDIER turned to get to his feet, only to have a blade rest against his neck. He had lost _abysmally_.

"What you wanted?"

Snorting, the silver warrior reached out and took hold of his sword, tilting his head in acknowledged submission. His instincts had been correct: the WEAPON was fast, obviously stronger than the SOLDIER, had the ability to activate and control materia not even in his possession, and knew how to manipulate his opponents. It was distasteful how quickly the General had lost to the blonde, but the silver warrior could not help some primal pleasure that he had someone _worthy_ of displaying his full skills against.

Standing up and flicking silver strands over his shoulder, the SOLDIER sheathed his weapon and glanced over at the now unarmed blonde. There was no indication that the broadsword had even existed but at this point it wouldn't surprise the General to learn that the blade behaved like a summoned creature such as Shiva or Ifrit. It was just another variable in an exponentially expanding puzzle.

Pale lips parted to speak before the silver warrior hesitated, not entirely certain of what he truly wished to say first. A small, worn-leather clad hand reached out, open-palmed, and jade eyes stared at the appendage silently as his lips firmly resealed. Slowly, his own black-gloved hand extended to grasp the WEAPON's in what the General had often seen soldiers do at the end of a hard spar. After a firm shake, in which Strife's grip was unsurprisingly strong, long fingers released their grasp and the SOLDIER lowered his hand to his side. Together, they turned back toward the town and started walking noiselessly save for the brush of high grass against their legs.

In a somewhat surprising twist, less than a minute of walking found a dragon rearing up with wings spread in threat before them. Feline eyes narrowed, hand immediately on Masamune's hilt even as a couple of Valrons weaved nearer in anticipation of a meal. With a sharp motion, his sword was poised in his hand and the General rushed the angry dragon. A clawed appendage swiped down at him, attempting to use his momentum against him, but the silver warrior dodged around the heavy-handed attack with his common grace and neatly sliced the leg away.

A brutal roar erupted from the beast, wings beating the air furiously as smoke curled up from the dragon's open jaw. Sephiroth darted forward, just under the billowing flames shooting from the monster's mouth, and dropped close to the ground as his blade lifted to point directly at the beast's heart. Not a moment after the fire ceased, the SOLDIER lunged and pierced through the thick scales, ending the Mako-tainted monster's life efficiently. Using his own Mako-enhanced speed, the General removed his gore-soaked sword and stepped out from under the beast's collapsing body.

The larger threat taken care of, jade eyes darted toward the Valrons. Noting the rather impressive ice encasing both, the swordsman flicked his blade to remove most of the remains from it and reached his right hand into his coat pocket, taking out an admittedly dingy rag to wipe the Masamune clean. He would do a better job once they returned to the inn, but in its purest form dragon blood stained anything it touched, including weapons.

Strife waited patiently, pale eyes turned up toward the moon in a decidedly _human_ gesture, reminding the silver warrior of the few times when Zackary had spoken of how large the universe was and how very, very small they were in comparison. Tucking the rag back into his pocket, the SOLDIER sheathed his blade and stepped over to the WEAPON. Azure eyes turned toward the silver warrior, catching and holding jade eyes for a brief minute before turning toward the Nibel mountains in the distance.

As one, they began walking again, the silence between them much less oppressing than before now that Sephiroth had a way to compare. Feline eyes still kept the blonde within sight, far more curious than wary regardless of a life's worth of paranoia courtesy of Professor Hojo. The WEAPON had not once shown any indication of blatant hostility; given his ruse it was unlikely that such a thing would change. Sephiroth did not doubt that the blonde was still uncertain of him and what to make of him, but the lack of options created a mixed and necessary trust between them. The General knew how to compose himself, but Strife did not have any proof of that; the blonde would see just how well the elite played these sociopolitical games in the very near future.

Jade eyes narrowed on the soldier as sudden fatigue entered previously fluid movements. Perhaps using those powerful materia-less spells was more draining than the SOLDIER had convinced himself. Becoming more alert now that there was no assured backup, the silver warrior checked his surroundings more thoroughly. Heavy clouds blotted out the star-speckled sky in places, covering part of the waning moon but not enough to cause any trouble for the General. A chill wind began to pick up, whipping through the grass and causing a commotion of interference and noise. Precipitation of some kind was imminent and glowing jade eyes turned toward the mountains in consternation. Before the two men, the dark town stood dwarfed under the towering range, only the lights of the inn twinkling in the otherwise quiet village. Although the sight was not exactly welcoming, it was more appealing than being caught in a storm.

Glowing feline eyes subtly shifted toward the WEAPON, but the wind suddenly picked up and then the heavy clouds above that were still slowly condensing let loose, pouring frigid rain in sheets across the plains. Effectively cut off and mildly annoyed, the SOLDIER picked up his pace and the blonde matched him, arms crossed over his chest as if to conserve heat. Mako prevented illness and disease, but not fully and Sephiroth was unwilling to test how much he could suffer through before he really did succumb to sickness. Zackary had managed once, on a mission up on the northern continent, and had to be placed in a contained area after two nurses had caught what he had and nearly died from it. Of course, if one were to take the brunette's word for it, then the illness had nearly killed him as well so of _course_ anyone unenhanced would feel the same. Sephiroth remained unconvinced to this day, certain that the SOLDIER was merely uncomfortable and hating his inability to lessen that discomfort.

Increasing his pace yet again, the silver warrior allowed himself an even jog that the WEAPON once again matched. There were a few Valrons and Nibel wolves in the distance, mostly looking for cover, but nothing that would concern the SOLDIER and so were quickly dismissed. The town border rose up on either side and the General immediately turned toward the inn, uncomfortable with the tangible drop in his own skin temperature. Many of the houses had shuttered their windows, the first floor of the inn seemingly being the exception, and the light was a useful guide when the rain cascading down from the sky made sight difficult. Both SOLDIER and WEAPON stepped gratefully through the wooden portal out of the storm, creating a puddle inside the door that continued to grow as water sluiced down from limp hair, bare skin, and soggy uniform. With a quick glance, the silver warrior could tell that Strife's lips lacked color, but undoubtedly the same was true for him. Feline eyes turned toward the stairs, once again ignoring the innkeeper who appeared around the corner of the bar, took in the picture the Shin-Ra employees presented, and hurried to a nearby supply closet. Strife said something quietly, causing the silver warrior to turn his attention back only to see one of the innkeeper's sons holding an armful of towels. In moments there was a mop and bucket nearby, helping to soak up their mess, and the SOLDIER efficiently swiped the water from his face before trudging up the stairs, intent on removing his leathers and warming himself up.

As he entered, the General found that the room was completely untouched and quiet save for Zackary's soft snores. Ignoring his comrade, Sephiroth placed Masamune on the table as he passed it and headed directly for the bathing room. With long practiced efficiency, the elite stripped bare, turning on the faucet to the sound of rattling pipes soon after. Once the water achieved enough heat to produce steam, the SOLDIER stepped under the showerhead and closed his eyes. Pale skin prickled at the drastic change in temperature, almost stinging for a moment before the heat became a pleasant feeling against his flesh. Jade eyes flickered to the soaps innocuously resting on the inlaid shelves, taking in the odd titles and scent combinations with some amusement. Reaching up, the elite grasped a shampoo that did not smell too potent, lathering his hair while absently reading the ingredients. Finding the third on the list to be dragon's blood, the SOLDIER suddenly wondered if that was true of his usual shampoo as well or if he normally received concoctions made entirely of artificial ingredients. It mattered little, really, and he proceeded to blank his mind of such extraneous thoughts as he showered.

By the time he turned the faucet off, his entire body was flushed a light pink and the room was full of steam. After the cold of the sudden downpour, the luxury was something even the General could appreciate. But he could not waste his time in the room, if for no other reason than the fact that he still had a few things to accomplish before resting for the night. Therefore, it was only logical that Sephiroth swiftly run a towel over his body to clean up most of the water left on his skin, not particularly worried about his silver hair beyond twisting the locks into a single rope to wring out. Wrapping his used towel around his waist, the General then gathered his clothing and exited into the bedroom. Zackary had changed position, splayed haphazardly across the bed with one arm dangling off of a side, knuckles brushing the floor. Strife, much to the SOLDIER's mild amusement and confusion, was sitting at the sole table in the room, fully unclothed save for the towel modestly wrapped around his own waist. The WEAPON motioned toward the wall across from the beds, speaking quietly as he stood.

"The chimney is on that side of the wall."

Taking passing notice of the uniform laid out across a chair propped against the wall, the silver warrior focused the majority of his attention on the blonde. Feline eyes watched the shorter male as he passed the elite into the bathing room, surprisingly relaxed and lacking his earlier fatigue. Sephiroth ruminated on the possibility that perhaps the WEAPON was simply quick to recover as he strode to the indicated wall. Even from his relative distance from the wooden panels, he could detect the heat radiating from the chimney. While that could not possibly be structurally sound, there was little to be done about correcting the issue at this time and so the SOLDIER dragged another chair from the table toward the wall. Splaying out his own clothing in much the same fashion as the blonde, the General then turned his attention toward drying off properly. One towel was decidedly not enough to leech the water fully from his hair, but it did a sufficient job and really Sephiroth was not terribly picky now that he was warm. Rather than brush his hair out immediately afterward, as he had previously observed more vain individuals in the compound doing, the SOLDIER fished through his bag and removed some rags and a good cleaner and polish. Placing them on one of the free beds, the silver warrior turned to the weapon still resting patiently on the table. Picking up his sword and carefully unsheathing the blade, jade eyes carefully scanned the length for any possibly knick or minor damage. Masamune had a few streaks of blood left on her, but otherwise there was no sign of the previous battles. Bringing the blade with him, the elite sat at the edge of his bed and reached for a cloth and the cleaner behind him. With nearly doting motions, he wiped his weapon of any trace of the dragon's blood, taking special care to thoroughly clean the hand guard and materia slots. The wrap around the hilt was beginning to look a little bit worn. The silver warrior would have to make a trip to Wutai soon; he only trusted one weapon smith with his blade and the man would never leave his homeland for anything. The Masamune served him well and it was only right that the General do the same in return in order to preserve the strength of his blade.

Satisfied with the current cleanliness of his sword, the cleaner was set aside and the used rag tossed onto the table halfway across the room. A softer rag received a small spot of polish before the SOLDIER methodically wiped along the flat of his blade, again taking care around the materia slots to ensure maximum proficiency. The repetitive, simplistic motions allowed for a moment's meditation, which the General would never have time for just as an act in and of itself. The WEAPON's emergence from the bathing room did nothing to distract him and it was only when Sephiroth was presented with the scene of Strife turning down the last bed and sliding down between the sheets that the elite's mind snapped back into the present. With nothing obstructing his view, the SOLDIER had to admit that the blonde was completely unremarkable physically. He simply looked like a teen. Indeed, he was more muscular than the silver warrior had initially surmised, but not anywhere big enough to appear the claimed age of nearly sixteen. That very well might have been a tactic to hide his power, and it was a good one if that was true, but simple speculation would get him nowhere.

Rising from his seat, collecting his supplies from the bed and setting them onto the table, Sephiroth then returned Masamune to her sheath in silence. The cleaner and polish went back into his bag along with the rags before the SOLDIER fished out his comb. Sitting gracefully on his bed again, the silver warrior set about systematically brushing out his hair now that it was drier. The snags were generally small, but Sephiroth had more pride in himself than to yank and was perfectly satisfied to undergo this routine. The mindless task allowed him the chance to better organize himself while the WEAPON relaxed into the sheets, blue eyes muted under the fall of golden locks. Quirking a brow at the soldier, knowing without question that the action was seen even though Strife was not directly looking his way, Sephiroth allowed himself a curious question.

"How do you control the brightness of your eyes? There was no glow while on the helicopters nor on the land transport."

The blonde remained quiet for a time before stretching languidly and rolling from his back onto his side to face the silver warrior.

"It isn't something I've ever been fully conscious of."

That was the end of the discussion for several minutes before Strife unexpectedly spoke again, voice too soft to do more than nudge against the oppressive silence only stunted by the pelting rain that had descended upon the inn.

"As long as the glow doesn't get too bright, being from Nibelheim has its advantages."

The SOLDIER did not reply, feline eyes unfocused as he considered the information. The surrounding mountains were known to be rich in Mako, hence the building of the reactor, but prior to that the children born in the small village tended to show some minor traits of Mako exposure. That particular fact had made the news some time ago, long before the reactor was built, as an odd kind of scientific phenomenon that even the uneducated were aware of because of the implication of pure bred, hereditary "SOLDIERs." Of course, glowing eyes were to be expected and would be dismissed by commanding officer, fellow recruit, and medic alike.

Idly combing out the last of his hair, the elite rose from his seat and strode over to his bag. In a few moments the comb was restored to its compartment and a hair tie was securely snagged in Sephiroth's teeth. Without conscious thought, he parted his hair into three separate plaits and rapidly braided the length. Weaving took a scant few moments before the ordinary black tie tightened near the end of the silver mane and his hair was promptly flipped over his shoulder to dangle down his back. Pulling back the cover of his own bed, the elite slipped into the sheets and lied on his side in order to face the blonde.

"The villagers treat you as their own."

The statement hung between them a long minute before azure eyes blinked once, slowly, and a grunt that was almost nothing but a huff of air passed tan lips.

"Look up the name Strife on that machine of yours."

Sephiroth knew without assistance of any gestures that the soldier was referring to his laptop; while he could not connect to the Shin-Ra database here, he would remember to look into that name once they returned to Midgar. In the meantime, the SOLDIER allowed the conversation to die a natural death and instead settled onto his stomach, closing his eyes for the night with much less difficulty than he had previously believed possible.


	3. Surprising

The morning dawned without fanfare, Sephiroth's internal alarm waking him long before the sun breached the crest of the cliffs and mountains surrounding the quiet town. With a feline stretch, loosening his muscles and pushing the sleep from his frame easily as a man long used to calling his body immediately under perfect control, the silver warrior sat up. To his right, Zackary remained splayed out across his bed, both feet poking out from under the crumpled sheets while one arm hung down off the edge with bare knuckles brushing the worn wood floor. To the General's left, Strife remained curled halfway into the fetal position on his side, golden yellow locks skewed over placid facial features. It seemed that perhaps the WEAPON was not an early riser the day after releasing his skills, then. More observation would be necessary before the elite could conclude the truth of that hypothesis, however. Yesterday was likely a more stressful period of time that the blonde had been through in quite a while. Drawing his knees up closer to his chest, ignoring the scratchy slide of wool against bare skin, and resting both arms on the newly created perches, jade eyes watched the still WEAPON in the grey darkness of the inn room. He looked particularly vulnerable now, defenseless in his dreams and unaware of his surroundings. Like any human. If the General had ever expected the mythical WEAPON to be a true creature, he would never have fathomed this. Strife was not some enormous beast nor did he have an exoskeleton for armor or some defining feature such as Sephiroth's own slit pupils. He was not impressively muscular and his voice was soft and had some indefinable quality that the SOLDIER just _knew_ could never command the attention of a room short of screaming; nothing about the blonde struck fear into the hearts of men. The WEAPON was utterly concealed among the common members of society. That made WEAPONs far more deadly than simple but powerful beasts. Strife was intelligent and planned out his methods with the classical efficiency of a genius tactician much like the ancient Wutanese military commander and author of _The Art of War_, Zhuge Tzu. Sephiroth had studied the man's brilliance with fervor, absorbing the knowledge for his own and building his tactics on top of that solid foundation. What he saw in Strife was the same uninhibited understanding of the nature of society and the multitude of battlefields present therein, blinded by neither youthful ignorance nor foolish prejudice. If Zackary was to be believed, and there was absolutely no reason to doubt him, then the blonde had not miraculously developed this understanding but rather had long trained and kept it hidden; much like that noteworthy ability to sense the identity of materia, which was also an impressive trait but still feasibly within the realm of humans. Should all WEAPONs be gifted with such insight, and should more than one exist at a time, combined with the inhuman strength and agility, mankind could be wiped from the surface of the Planet before anyone would know to put up a struggle. There was so much the SOLDIER did not yet understand and yet the questions were surprisingly satisfactory revelations on their own. The blonde _knew_ what he was doing – he _had_ to know or he would never have fooled the entire world for so long.

Abruptly, feline eyes blinked and turned away from the still WEAPON. How long had Strife been in this world? That was something worth focusing on in the early morning. Members of such a tiny community as Nibelheim would well be aware of the surname and there was no harm in information gathering. Resolved, the General turned the sheets from his body, stood barefoot on the chill floor, and soundlessly padded to his bag of belongings. The light drizzling patter of early rain persuaded the silver warrior to forgo his leathers and don the customary uniform of a SOLDIER elite; sleeveless ribbed turtleneck, trousers baggy enough to allow uncommon flexibility and aerial feats, and worn combat boots slid on much like a second skin. Masamune's harness was quickly secured from back to hip, the sword latched comfortably to his side like another limb, and the rag he used for quick field cleaning was unceremoniously stuffed into his pants pocket. Taking off the hair tie and securing it to his brush, the silver warrior quickly combed the lengths of his hair, ignoring the slight crimp at the end caused by the tie, before picking up his usual gloves and bracers from where they had rested to dry out for the night.

Zackary made a muffled murmur into his pillow but otherwise did not twitch as the General slipped silently from the room. The WEAPON appeared to be sleeping just as heavily, allowing the SOLDIER a quiet early morning on his own. The old stairs were noisy as he descended, wood grinding against wood as he made his way to the first floor. The innkeeper's wife was busy in the kitchen from the sounds clattering through the wall, and one of the sons sitting slack in the chair behind the registration desk reading what appeared to be a comic book was the only other person apparently awake at this time. Hazel eyes glanced up at the stairs, sighting the silver warrior and causing the young man to scramble into proper seated position before the General touched the final step. The awkwardness was dismissed as the elite gracefully stalked to the counter with an inquiry about food. The young auburn-haired male stuttered that the hot meal would be ready in less than an hour but surely something could be found if Sephiroth required it. Declining the unnecessary offer, the General turned toward the front windows and gazed out at the still dark grey town. There were a few individuals milling about, but both the rain and the lack of light were contributing to the scant number of mountain dwellers out this early.

Turning feline eyes back to the nervous young man behind the front counter, Sephiroth decided he might as well see what he could derive from this individual.

"Does this town keep a record of those who live here?"

Hazel eyes blinked but the SOLDIER stayed completely still as he awaited the response.

"Erm, I dunna' believe there be any tomes about our hist'ry. If'in there's something particular ye be looking for…?"

Frowning, the General nearly sighed. Nibelheim might be inside Shin-Ra territory, but the people were still very set in their ways. Any information would be by oral report, full of bias and rumor and unlikely to be useful at all. Still, it was a starting point if nothing else could be gained from it.

"I am looking for some information on the family Strife."

Hazel eyes lit up, the potential for rumor practically hanging like a sign over his head in his excitement. Jade eyes narrowed but he said nothing as the young man spoke.

"Ah, the prophets."

Gesticulating in an attempt to get the youth to expand his topic, the elite stifled a derisive snort.

"Strifes be witches, the whole lot of them. Ma says they all be crazy, talking to the dead or some such. Family's down to its last two. Ain't likely to be anymore kin in that line. Not after the accident."

The innkeeper chose that moment to walk in from the door behind the counter, a scowl firmly on his age-worn features.

"Boy, finish ye chores and stop yappin' like a woman."

The young brunette blushed in embarrassment, scurrying into the back without another word. Pale brown eyes watched the SOLDIER before the unshaven man sat heavily in the now vacant chair his son had recently occupied.

"Strifes be a strong group. Ain't no denying there's something not right about them, but they been here longer than any of the other families in town."

Sephiroth nodded, more interested in learning about this "accident" that had befallen the family.

"I've no doubt that they are strong. What about them makes them so special?"

Snorting, the grizzled inn owner crossed his arms in a clear sign of irritation.

"I ain't interested in gossiping like some old woman. The Strifes be Odin blessed, keeping track of the town's heritage and speaking the old tongue better than the rest of us. They be the ones who keep the hist'ry. The school doesn't teach half what that family knows."

Mildly curious about the staunch defense of the clan name when it was obvious from the man's son that at the very least his wife was prejudiced, Sephiroth shifted his stance but refrained from crossing his arms, knowing better than to deliberately project menace when attempting to glean information from common civilians.

"I never meant to imply disrespect."

The door to the inn swung open behind the SOLDIER, cutting him off, and jade eyes turned to watch two figures in heavy brown cloaks trudge in, one carrying a hefty-looking sack as the other shorter individual closed the door behind them.

"Ah, thank ye for helping, Rory. I'll leave the rest to ye."

The figure holding the satchel pushed the cloak fabric down, revealing one of the older progeny of the innkeeper. The boy nodded once to the, judging by the voice, still cloaked woman, before trudging off into the back areas. From behind the counter, the older man grunted once.

"All be mended now?"

The cloaked woman turned her head before small hands reached up to move the hood back. Bright golden hair was pulled back and tied away from a young face, revealing softly glowing azure eyes and a gentle smile.

"Ah, good to see ye, Jonas. None of the blankets be tearing, now?"

The innkeeper respectfully changed his posture before replying.

"Never once, Missus Strife."

Feline eyes narrowed, surprised by the title and briefly wondering what age Nibelheim natives married. The woman couldn't have been older than twenty; she was far too young to have a child that claimed to be sixteen. That the two remaining Strifes were related as siblings was unpredicted as well. Before him, the woman tutted and took off her cloak, hanging it by the door and taking a moment to smooth out her heavy skirts. The General noted with mild interest that her hair was quite long, fully braided and draped around her neck like a loose scarf.

"I'm told ye be running low on mead, now?"

Waving his hand in the direction of the bar, the unshaven man spoke.

"It be inevitable. Winter just left the mountains."

Grinning, blue eyes crinkling in amusement, the woman nodded.

"So it be. I be making some reserves, unless ye need help in the kitchen."

The innkeeper frowned, sending an incredibly unsubtle glance toward the SOLDIER, before turning his focus back on the woman. Bright blue eyes had followed the gaze, locking eyes with the General and smiling politely.

"Good day, Mr. Shin-Ra. How ye be liking Nibelheim?"

Feline eyes narrowed, surprised by this young woman's daring.

"It remains unchanged from the last time I was here."

The young blonde laughed, a sound just as vibrant and gentle as the rest of her.

"We would be boring to ye big-city folk. Now, ye have a good day, Mr. Shin-Ra."

With that, the young woman turned and glided right through the open frame into the bar area and around behind the counter without sparing the General another glance. Intrigued, the SOLDIER trailed after her, all but ignoring the call that breakfast would be prepared in a half an hour at most. The other room was large – surprisingly so – and the elite decided it was in need of a better cleaning job as the sole of his boot stuck to a tacky spot on the floor. The woman was nimble, weaving through an array of empty mugs that had not been cleaned the night before and pushing empty barrels out of her way; she was decently strong, as well, hefting up a half-full keg that sloshed noisily onto the countertop without much of a struggle before curling around the newly made passageway to push through a door. The blonde paused as her small hand touched the smooth wood, her other hand brushing down the fabric of her skirts just once.

"I not be one to care about such things, Mr. Shin-Ra, but ye might wish to eat before ye start drinking this morn."

Blinking once, feline eyes narrowed before the silver warrior stepped over to the door that Strife exited through. Although it felt somewhat foolish to stand facing a closed door, the SOLDIER could tell that he was not intended to pass beyond the threshold and held his conversation with that barrier between them.

"I was not particularly interested in drinking so early, madam. Rather, I have been told that you are the one whom I should seek to learn about the town's history."

There was a shuffling sound from the other side of the wood, followed by a quiet murmur.

"What ye be wanting, then, Mr. Shin-Ra?"

His fingers curled, not quite menacingly, as the silver warrior held stance in front of the closed door. Sephiroth knew that he needed to begin with a general enough topic that could be narrowed down slowly to the family Strife or he would risk closing off his access to this "accident." Being such a backwater town, unless it was catastrophic, Nibelheim was about as likely to have reported the incident as the many terrorist factions were to suspend their distaste for the Shin-Ra company to have a world summit to discuss Shinra senior's good, upstanding nature.

"I would be most interested in the effects of Mako on this area."

Another slight shuffling noise followed his statement before the door swung back open, displaying the tiny blonde woman now in an off-white, well-used apron, pale eyes narrowed suspiciously while the line of her pink lips bowed in a subtle frown.

"I appreciate ye respecting that ye dunna' belong in the back, but ye may as well join me if we be having any discussion, Mr. Shin-Ra."

Stepping past the threshold, feline eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the distillery-like atmosphere with a raised silver brow. It should not have surprised him that the townsfolk multipurposed their buildings and yet the General could not help but think it odd that the inn was also where the alcohol was manufactured. Before him, the little blonde woman set about her tasks to prepare more of the town's beverage of choice and the SOLDIER took a second cursory glance about before stepping off to a side that looked as though it would keep him out of the way, propping his sheathed sword against the wall to keep from accidentally catching her on and consequently damaging anything. As something of an afterthought, the elite responded to her words.

"I am General Sephiroth, madam, and my current inquiry has no bearing on my assignment here."

Although she did not turn to look back at him, the young woman continued to hurry about her morning activities with all of the skill of an individual who had grown up with the task. Over a dozen vats lined the room in two rows, waiting to be filled with water one by one by the woman carting large buckets from the taps lining the far wall; it was work that looked to be much more difficult than such a tiny form could possibly be capable of doing for long, but there was barely any strain in her voice as the female Strife spoke.

"That be as it may, we be seeing about such things later. Now, ye dunna' seem to be a man interested in our religion, so perhaps ye might wish to narrow down the scope of ye question."

Feline eyes narrowed, following the tiny form traveling back and forth from taps to vats, but the silver warrior was only mildly confused, not offended, by the statement.

"I fail to see how Mako would be a religious experience."

A breathy, light laugh broke from the woman's parted lips, but she did not cease the pattern of her work, made more expedient by keeping the water running to fill the whole line of nine ten-gallon buckets as she carted them to the farthest tanks from the taps one at a time.

"The Lifestream be the blood of the gods. Without that blood, there be no life breathed in us. But ye not be interested in that. I be a reasonable woman, Mr. General. I raised me son on me own. I have a thick enough hide for ye to ask what ye really want."

Feline eyes blinked in disbelief, glancing over the woman once more but there was no true indication of age – no wrinkles, no thinning skin or graying hair, no prominent veins – she could not possibly be a thirty-something mountain dweller. The SOLDIER crossed his arms over his chest and appraised the young woman more sharply.

"Son?"

Taking a moment after pouring a full bucket into a thick metal vat, the young Strife turned and flashed a quick smile at the elite before trekking back to the taps.

"Me boy. Cloud. He be in the military, Mr. General."

Jade eyes glinting, the silver warrior shifted his weight on his legs but showed no other physical acknowledgement.

"Indeed. Then, perhaps you might inform me of your own family history, madam."

Although her shoulders tensed, the female Strife otherwise did not show any signs of being bothered by the seemingly callous statement.

"Me boy be me pride and joy, Mr. Shin-Ra. If he be a problem for ye then I've no doubts that he end up doing the dangerous work on his own outside of the service. That being true, I must ask ye at least be a good enough man to get him back home before ye leave him to rot."

Frowning, the SOLDIER uncrossed his arms even as he strode toward the buckets sitting full at the taps, waiting to be carted to one of the vats.

"Cadet Strife is not in any trouble. I have merely overheard something that may or may not pose an issue should he enter SOLDIER."

Picking up a ten-gallon bucket per hand, the elite headed to the third in the line of vats that apparently needed to be filled and began the task. Azure eyes gave him a subtle, appraising glance, vastly unlike the normal stares that he was subjected to, as Sephiroth dumped the buckets and returned them to their places, picking up the next two. Picking up the edge of her apron to dry off whatever water had splashed onto her hands, Strife hummed thoughtfully.

"I knew me boy had the strength all along. Well, I suppose the gossips in this town are just as efficient as anywhere else. No use in making ye wait."

With that the young woman smoothed out the apron again and picked up a bucket, carting it along as she spoke. Bemused by her insistence, Sephiroth watched her drag the heavy plastic container past him and waited for a pair of buckets to fill again. Once she reached the vat that was currently being filled, Strife's head lowered into a semi dejected pose and her lips pursed, a long pause settling silently between the two inside the distillery before thin shoulders pushed back and her head raised again.

"He was six that year. Now, I don't rightly know what of the town ye know and what ye dunna' know, but we aim to keep our lot away from that machine ye put up in our mountain and ye can hear a lot of ghost stories to that effect. Me boy never cared for the tales, not when there's so much work to be done, and as the man of the house he took his duties seriously even then."

Dumping the bucket, she returned it to a tap and waited patiently for the next bucket as she tilted her head and locked her gaze with feline eyes. There was not a single flicker of the usual fawning expression in her clear azure eyes, but rather a world-weary look that comes from seeing more than you want sooner than you should. It was a look that the General was well acquainted with after his studies under so many war veterans and it didn't suit the image this woman projected around herself.

"That year, he went into the mountains to gather some berries and didn't come back. Mr. General, ye be knowing the effects of long term exposure to the Lifestream, do ye not?"

The elite inclined his head, acknowledging her statement, before he replied.

"Extended exposure has both psychological and physiological effects, including but not limited to behavioral changes and rapid muscle development."

With a mirthless smile, the young woman turned to pick up a sloshing bucket and Sephiroth glanced down at the taps himself to take note of a pair of filled buckets. Picking them up, he followed Strife down the isle.

"At least ye not left wholly in the dark."

Dumping the water into the vat before her, the woman pursed her lips and cast a wary glance at the SOLDIER before turning to face him, bucket dangling loosely in both small hands. The high clang of a warning bell startled the young woman out of her thoughts abruptly, cutting off whatever she might have desired to say. Hastily setting down both buckets, no longer concerned with dumping them, the elite left Strife to her duties and hurried from the back room, snatching up his blade on the way out. The bell grew shriller with less barriers but the SOLDIER paid that no mind as he swept through the first floor of the inn and came out into the town square. The light rain from earlier was now barely a drizzle although the streets had long been reduced to a horrendously muddy state. Already inside the town gates, several adolescent Nibel wolves bounded through the streets in crazed abandon. The white froth at their mouths implied that they were deranged and therefore an uncommon threat. More unsettling, however, were the three green-bellied dragons circling up above, not yet casting shadows in the grey dawn. They were high enough up that they may well not be planning to attack, but the SOLDIER did not survive so long in life by underestimating opponents and so kept his eye on them as well. From the mountain side of town at least two nests of kyuvilduns had descended into the village, heading towards buildings that were being shut up in obvious attempts to lessen the damage caused. In all likelihood this was a regular occurrence and the town was always prepared for it. Sephiroth, however, was not pleased with the idea that a township under Shin-Ra law and protection was so used to attacks that none of the faces he saw in the windows were panicked.

Unsheathing his sword in a smooth motion, the SOLDIER immediately took offensive stance and first focused on taking out the deranged wolves before they could infect anything else. Even in madness the beasts were intelligent and quick, never grouping close enough for long enough to warrant a wide range ice attack. Annoying, to be sure, but Sephiroth was not interested in playing games and instead waited for them to strike. Swift and accurate, Masamune's edge met the wolves in mid lunge, severing four into two halves and disemboweling the fifth, who had been clever enough to attempt to dodge. The effort was in vain for the creature as its pink innards tumbled to the murky ground moments before the rest of its carcass fell. Nudging a decapitated wolf head out of his way with a black boot, the elite next turned his attention to the insects invading the town. Being the only live meat outside of a building currently, he was the prime target and there was no question in his mind that he was about to be surrounded. Luckily, kyuvilduns did not boast to be intelligent creatures and therefore stayed clumped together close enough for the General to take out a third of them with a single ice cast. The rest briefly scattered before bounding around to circle their prey intently. Sephiroth held stance, his breathing even and his mind sharply focused on the task at hand.

The clicking and chittering of at least two dozen insects attempting to coordinate a strike erupted around him – feline eyes narrowed before the silver warrior shut his lids, highlighting in his mind the frantic sounds surrounding him. With a slow, composed breath, Sephiroth took a half step to the right and sliced through the kyuvilduns that attempted a strike from behind. A fluid twist of his waist and flick of his wrist brought his blade back to slash through the carapaces of the insects to his left before the SOLDIER gracefully flipped out of the way of an attack on his other flank that he couldn't intercept in time. Drawing himself back into a neutral pose, bright feline eyes opened to survey his remaining attackers. As of yet, the dragons were only circling high above.

Dark green legs scuttled back and forth, producing a drunken weaving pattern as the insects thinned out to surround him again. Nonplussed, the General went on the offense and sliced straight through the kyuvilduns in front of himself. The rest of the insects lunged all at once and the silver warrior could not help but smirk as he stopped his forward momentum on the fall of his right boot and redirected all of that thrust in the slash of his sword as his torso torqued to give him full range in a strike that severed all of his attackers in two. Up above the trio of dragons circled one last time before gliding off into the mountains silently; apparently whatever they were looking for was not here. The present threat taken care of, the elite flicked his blade to be rid of any chunks of bone or innards that may have attached themselves and pulled his worn-out rag from the pocket of his standard issue pants. Swiping Masamune carefully, at the same time checking for possible nicks or other irregularities, Sephiroth kept his eyes distinctly targeted on his blade even as he consciously picked up the sounds of townsfolk exiting their houses to begin their morning routines.

Satisfied that his sword remained undamaged, the SOLDIER sheathed the blade and turned back toward the inn. The female Strife was nowhere to be seen; the General surmised she was still tending to the alcohol production but he doubted she would be any more receptive of him than before. Turning sharply as he stepped beyond the threshold of the entry door, the silver warrior strode confidently to the stairwell. It would still be some time before added forced arrived, but Sephiroth did not plan to sit idly. Thinning out the monster population in the Nibel range would do some good and had the added bonus of giving the elite more opportunity to observe the WEAPON in his somewhat restricted role. Pausing briefly at the bottom step, feline eyes turned to regard the innkeeper sitting behind the counter polishing a little ivory figurine held too awkwardly to discern precisely what it was created to mimic.

"How frequently do those sirens go off?"

Without raising his head, the old man inspected the smooth surface in hand meticulously as he responded.

"Every other day, about. It be worse in a few months, when the eggs hatch."

Turning without acknowledging the man's words, the General strode purposefully up the stairs, ignoring the ominous creak of the wood underfoot; the inn would not be open for business if it were rotting. Passing into the room rented for their stay, jade glossed over the WEAPON seated on the edge of his bed securing his combat boots before redirecting to Zackary, who was clearly mourning the loss of his shirt although he had at least managed to change the rest of his uniform. Seemingly oblivious to the silver warrior's presence, the brunette spoke almost somberly about the torn material in his hands.

"Man, why'd it have to be my lucky shirt? I mean, I even wore it so we could have a better chance at finding some clues and now it's never going to see another mission. Plus it totally broke! I got gored!"

Strife stood in a fluid motion, picking up his gloves and putting them on as he turned to face the oddly depressed SOLDIER.

"You're alive. Your shirt still seems lucky to me."

Sapphire eyes blinked slowly before a grin suffused the unhappy swordsman with new vitality.

"You're right! Aw, but it's not suitable uniform attire anymore, is it, Sephiroth?"

Uninterested in inserting himself in the current conversation, the elite declined to respond to the question posed.

"When you are ready we will head out."

Oblivious to the dismissal, the SOLDIER stood from his seat on his bed and swaggered to his duffle, flashing the usual charismatic grin toward his superior officer.

"Food's ready?"

Declining, once again, to respond, the silver warrior turned his focus to the blonde. With a few minor adjustments, the WEAPON was fully situated in his trooper uniform sans helmet and rifle. Gesturing with a faint nod in the blonde's direction, the silver warrior spoke levelly.

"What happened to your rifle?"

There was no semblance of hesitation in Strife's voice as he replied.

"Shortly after I was left at the Mako I was attacked, sir."

This caused Zackary to immediately hurry over, new shirt still in hand.

"You got attacked?"

Dismissively, the little blonde shrugged off the obvious worry in the SOLDIER's voice.

"It wasn't much. The wolf looked like it might have been rabid and it was emaciated – I think it got stuck in there. My rifle jammed –"

"Again?"

The brunette fumed, crossing his arms and sending a leery eye in the elite's direction.

"I told you Scarlet's skimping on her products again. Probably because of Heidegger."

Frowning, the General glanced toward the younger SOLDIER in acknowledgement before returning his focus to Strife. Without further prompting, the WEAPON continued.

"I used it to keep the wolf back for a while but then he bit into it and wouldn't let go. We were close to the Mako and he lost footing while trying to disarm me, sir."

Sephiroth's expression remained neutral but he internally debated the validity of the statement. There was no way to question the blonde further without raising Zackary's suspicions, however. It was, undoubtedly, partially true to an extent, just as the report on the new strain of monsters from yesterday was a mixture of fact and fiction.

"So you've been without a weapon practically since we left you? Shiva's tits, Cloud!"

With a bland look at the brunette, the elite interceded.

"Perhaps you have forgotten, Zackary, but the troopers have metal plates installed in their assigned gloves to assist in boosting damage should they be disarmed."

The General had never been content with how little the main army was given to keep themselves alive. Granted, such measures were unnecessary for a SOLDIER, but every small accomplishment in redirecting funds and aid helped to keep his army intact. The WEAPON bestowed a similarly bland stare on the elite before turning to the brunette.

"I'm fine, Zack. The troops all know martial combat skills. And there's a martial teacher in town, too."

Perking, the brunette leaned over to place his head at the same level as the little blonde.

"Really? Did you ever take lessons with him? What's his name? Can I meet him?"

As per usual, the questions rambled out without any pause for a response. Used to such behavior, Sephiroth ultimately turned away and stood at the tall, narrow window letting in the grey morning light. Behind him Zackary moved about, most likely to dress and get ready, while the blonde responded.

"He lives near the inn and you can ask Master Zangan yourself."

The brunette made a noise muffled by fabric before the scrape of metal against wood alerted the silver warrior that his colleague was now armored and likely armed.

"I will. What's he look like?"

"Wutanese."

The brunette hummed, stomping his feet to adjust his boots, before trudging over to Sephiroth's side.

"Where are we off to today?"

Jade sharply turned, focusing directly on azure, before the General spoke in a rather abrupt tone.

"Cadet Strife, do you know where, precisely, the kyuvilduns nesting grounds are?"

Pale eyes blinked once before the short blonde nodded sharply.

"There are several locations in the mountain ranges."

Absently nodding, the elite glanced briefly at the younger SOLDIER before turning to the door.

"We will eat now. Afterward you may acquire any materials you feel you may need from the stores and Cadet Strife will guide us in the mountain ranges. Our purpose until we receive more troops is to thin out the Mako monster population in this area. The alarms go off almost daily and that is unacceptable. This will be an all day venture. Be prepared."

Zackary nodded, at once eager for combat and affronted for the people of the village, while the WEAPON saluted crisply.

"Sir, yes, sir."

The brunette picked up his speed, obviously planning to gorge himself before he went to gather a few odds and ends. Sephiroth held back, waiting for the blonde to pass his side before quietly speaking again as his left hand passed over his right bracer.

"Cadet Strife."

Azure eyes turned to regard him silently, a spark of question in his otherwise expressionless gaze, even as the body went completely rigid in mixed fear and concern. The WEAPON was a terribly good actor and Sephiroth was realizing this more and more now that he was aware of what he was observing. Dismissing the thought, the General extended his left arm, closed fisted, and waited for the blonde to hold his hand out. Once the smaller male complied, the elite dropped his mastered ice materia in the gloved palm and retracted his arm. Blue eyes momentarily flashed, but the SOLDIER did not doubt that his intention was recognized. For Zackary's benefit, since the man held back from racing down to eat largely for curiosity's sake, Sephiroth elaborated.

"Now that you have cast once, it will be easier to draw spells. Since you no longer have long range capabilities, I want you to carry this and use it as needed."

Materia in hand, the soldier saluted.

"Sir, yes, sir."

Zackary grinned brightly at them both before barreling down the stairs, sounding like a heard of chocobos stumbling down a sheer cliff face and smacking into every gnarled dead protruding tree on the way down. Strife gave the silver warrior a short, appraising look before nodding once sharply, both in acceptance and in thanks. The two of them turned to the stairs and slowly made their way to the waiting breakfast. The WEAPON, Sephiroth noted, did not set off a single creak on the stairwell, while the elite with all of his feline grace and dexterity was barely any quieter than Zackary had been. Perhaps there was a trick to it. The silver warrior would have to watch other natives to see if it was simply a learned behavior from long practice.

In the barroom area Zackary was seated at a table filled with various foodstuffs, already set to eat everything before him. Sephiroth held in his amusement with the younger man's fidgeting impatiently for his companions to take their seats, instead smoothly inserting himself into the chair opposite his fellow SOLDIER and taking in the spread of their breakfast with minor distaste. Most of this meal looked terribly unhealthy but this was not a Shin-Ra compound and as such meals would not be quite so balanced. Zackary either did not realize this or did not care, instead digging into the piles of heavy morning foods with gusto, taking large mouthfuls of sausage and syrupy waffle at once. Seated silently in the chair to Sephiroth's right, putting his back to the bar and keeping the entryway into the room visible, the WEAPON picked at a plate of eggs, fish, and toast with a tense expression on his features. The elite took in his food choices with far less disgust, taking a similar collection for himself.

Aside from the scrape of cutlery on pewter dishes and the thunk of heavy mugs of milk or water on wood, the meal was surprisingly silent. The door to the back room swung open after several minutes, prompting a glance from Zackary but no noticeable reaction from either the blonde or the silver warrior. After a moment the soft tap of leather-bound feet padding across the floor drew the elite's attention to the female Strife making her way to their table with a rather sharp look in her eyes. She stopped silently behind the WEAPON, watching his head tilt back as he took a long drink from his mug.

"Ye been away awhile, boy."

Swallowing, the blonde lowered the carved pewter from his lips and set the mug on the table before turning in his seat to look at the woman behind him with a half-smile curling the edges of his lips.

"I don't get enough leave time to just drop by."

Laughing, the subtle ire in her body language gone, the woman flicked a finger of her left hand against the soldier's cheek.

"I wouldn't be asking for such. Ye too busy to drop in before ye leave town?"

Bringing an arm up to rest against the back of his chair, the blonde cocked his head.

"I tried yesterday."

Frowning, the young woman absently smoothed out her skirts as she spoke.

"Yesterday I was with Hilde, helping her tend the chores while her husband be sick in bed. Poor woman has a newborn and two younguns with no help to clean, cook, or mend a single thing. If'in I'd known ye be here, I'd made ye help."

Smiling outright, azure eyes bright, the blonde soldier replied.

"I'll help if you can get permission from my commanding officer; I'm on duty right now."

With a vivacious smile of her own, the woman turned her bright blue gaze to the other two men at the table.

"That all? Well, who I be asking? Ye the one?"

The last was directed toward Zackary, who had at some point given up on all forms of table manners and had stuffed an entire waffle into his mouth with a cheeky grin directed toward the blonde pair. Sapphire eyes twinkled upon hearing the question, but the brunette shook his head and pointed toward the other side of the table in lieu of his full mouth. The small blonde woman turned her gaze to the SOLDIER and the General found himself once again under the scrutiny of the little female.

"Ye be heading this trip, then? Well, ye heard me earlier. What ye say?"

The silver warrior frowned, not in the least pleased by the idea of losing any insignificant chance to observe the blonde in action. Acquiescing could have other benefits, but the elite had already sketched out their time for this trip to the best of his abilities.

"Our schedule for the day is unfortunately set, madam. However, I would not be adverse to other suggestions."

Pink lips curling down at the edges, the blonde woman strode the short distance confidently toward the SOLDIER.

"Ye need to speak clearer, Mr. General. I ain't spent much time with me boy in close to three years now. Do ye need him or not?"

One fine silver brow hitched, but the General was cut off before he could even open his mouth as Zackary dropped his mug onto the table and clapped his hands together sharply.

"Can we get a home cooked real Nibelheim meal? I bet you cook the best food! Man, I'm jealous; I wish I had a pretty sister like you do, Spike."

The blonde woman blushed in clear bemusement as she laughed, turning her focus on the brunette.

"Ye be flattering me, lad. Cloud be me son and I be plenty old enough to be ye mother."

Sapphire eyes blinked in the same disbelief that Sephiroth had felt earlier when he took in the female Strife's appearance, but the younger SOLDIER was less subtle in cases such as these where his charismatic personality glossed over the seeming rudeness of his words.

"No way; you're way too pretty to be a day older than me. There's no way you're grandma material yet!"

Bringing a hand up to cover her smiling lips, pale eyes crinkled merrily as the previously silent blonde soldier shot a harsh glower at the brunette.

"Don't be a pervert, Zack."

Failing to conceal her grin, the young woman placed both hands at her hips sternly.

"Cloud Strife! Dunna' be rude to that man. I be certain his intentions were chaste. Fine young lad must have a lady by now."

Grinning broadly, the brunette puffed up his chest and directed a childishly mischievous grin at the WEAPON.

"Yeah, Spike, don't be rude."

Bright azure eyes glowered at the SOLDIER, but the blonde remained petulantly silent. Sephiroth looked on quietly, mulling over the situation. Today was already set for monster hunting, but as long as they were efficient in their kills, there was nothing forcing them to return to the mountains come the following day. There were no leads on the missing soldiers, much to the General's chagrin, but they could not risk returning to the tunnels now that the WEAPON was lacking both a weapon and a night-vision helmet, which the elite honestly did not recall seeing the blonde equipped with at any point in time. Aside from monster extermination, there was really nothing to be done until the reinforcements arrived. Plus Sephiroth was far more likely to satiate some of his curiosity about the WEAPON by staying in town, where he could easily leave Zackary to his own curiosities if need be to do a little digging.

Crossing his arms, the silver warrior sent an apathetic look to the other SOLDIER before speaking. Zackary caught the look and settled himself, but continued grinning at the two blondes.

"Mrs. Strife, we are currently still on business. However, I am not without sympathy. Reinforcements will be arriving in a few days."

Sephiroth paused, noting the inquisitive expression on the brunette's face, before dismissing the look and continuing his train of thought.

"I require your son as a guide in the mountains today. For tomorrow and until the rest of the Shin-Ra personnel arrive, your son will be free to do as he pleases."

Clasping her hands in front of her, the woman smiled sincerely at the SOLDIER and cocked her head to the side.

"Thank ye, Mr. General. If'in ye be free, perhaps ye can join us and get that home cooked meal."

Arching a silver brow, the elite refrained from allowing himself further expression as he responded.

"Are you bribing me, Mrs. Strife?"

Those bright blue eyes glinted with humor as the woman pointed a finger at the silver warrior's chest.

"Ain't a bribe since ye already gave me what I wanted, Mr. General. I be paying ye back for ye kindness."

Feline eyes stared up into unwavering blue, hardly intimidated by such a small form, but nevertheless impressed by her gall.

"If we are to be working together, madam, perhaps it would do for proper introductions. My colleague is Brigadier General Zackary Fair, SOLDIER first, and as you know I am General Sephiroth, SOLDIER first."

Azure eyes glanced between the two SOLDIERs before the woman nodded to herself.

"Ye can call me Sigrun."

Zackary leaned back in his chair with an easygoing smile then, catching the female Strife's gaze briefly before she returned her eyes to the silver warrior.

"Alright, lads. Ye can help Cloud mend the Braundis's fence. Hilde and I be focusing on indoor chores and ye be paid in food and drink."

Turning to the WEAPON, the female Strife crossed her arms over her breast.

"I need be heading over that way now. Ye know where to go, boy. Bring ye big, strong SOLDIER friends when ye ready tomorrow."

Without another word, the small blonde turned and exited the room, walking around the silver warrior without sparing him another glance. The male Strife put his head in a hand, signifying exasperation, while Zackary's eyes trailed after the woman with no small amount of amusement. For his part, Sephiroth was so surprised that the woman had outright dismissed him that he was left momentarily speechless. Once the clack of the door to the inn opening and then shutting was heard, the brunette turned a wide smirk toward the WEAPON.

"Shiva's tits, Spike! I think I'm in love with your mother. Seriously, I want to marry her. She's perfect."

Jade eyes watched as the brunette degenerated into not so quiet chuckles, hardly seeing the comedy in the situation, while Strife rolled his eyes and went moodily back to his food. After an apathetic glance at the younger SOLDIER, Sephiroth followed suit.


End file.
